Heartbeat: SWBH teams up to ‘BEAT-lupus’ with research study

August 3, 2018

Our organisation is one of 16 lupus specialist centres in the UK which is participating in a study called BEAT-lupus with Consultant, Caroline Gordon the principal investigator overseeing all the patients enrolled in the study at City Hospital.

The BEAT-lupus study is funded by Arthritis Research UK and the sponsor is University College London. The study aims to recruit 50 patients from across the sixteen lupus specialist centers across the UK.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus also known as SLE is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s antibodies, produced by immune B cells, attacks the body’s own cells by mistake. This attack then causes inflammation, with numerous issues such as fatigue, rashes, hair loss, arthritis, kidney involvement and blood disorders. Long-term complications can include early onset heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

Unfortunately, there is currently still no cure for SLE with existing treatment options only able to help manage symptoms. Rituximab is one of these treatments and is used to treat patients with refractory disease that has not responded to standard immunosuppressants. Rituximab is a biological therapy that is used to reduce inflammation and improve the symptoms of SLE. However, this treatment can result in an increase in B-cell activating factor (BAFF), which is believed to cause inflammation after the treatment cycle is complete.

The Beat-lupus study recruits SLE patients that are going to be treated with rituximab and randomises them to receive the BAFF-inhibiting drug, belimumab, or placebo after rituximab in order to attain preliminary results about whether this combination of drugs prevents the development of anti-DNA antibodies that will promote inflammation and to determine if this improves the outcome of patients compared with rituximab treatment alone.

Irene Echavez-Naguicnic, Research Nurse plays a vital role in the BEAT-lupus study.

She said: “As part of my role, I see and assess the patients alongside the investigator Caroline Gordon and help with organising blood sample collection. The first three treatments are every two weeks then it is every four weeks. In addition to this, I’m the first point of contact regarding any patient queries they may have about the study.”

She added: “I believe the study is a step in the right direction in terms of research and development and I’m quietly confident it will be a success.”