1. EULAR Lupus Nephritis Trials Network Study Group
The mission of the Lupus Nephritis Trials Network (LNTN) is to improve outcomes for patients with lupus nephritis through i): the conduct of clinical trials designed to prevent chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney failure; and ii): the development of clinical trial methodologies that improve and simplify the assessment of therapeutic agents. The network involves more than 200 members across 40 countries
Project 1 – Outcome measures in lupus nephritis trials to identify early prognostic markers of long-term outcome via trial data, real life cohorts and a prospective registry.
Mackay M. et al., Arthritis Rheumatol 2019; 71: Establishing surrogate kidney end points for lupus nephritis clinical trials: development and validation of a novel approach to predict future kidney outcomes.
Project 2 – CALIBRATE trial to study autoreactive B cell reconstitution after rituximab, cyclophosphamide and steroids, alone or followed by belimumab.
Aranow C. et al. Phase 2 trial of induction therapy with anti-CD20 (rituximab) followed by maintenance therapy with anti-BAFF (belimumab) in patients with active lupus nephritis. Abstract Lupus 2019 Conference (San Francisco, USA).
Project 3 – Repeat per protocol renal biopsy study to correlate clinical and immunological responses.
F. Tamirou, I. Parodis, J. Menke, HJ Anders and FA Houssiau.