Work

Case Series of the Combination of Voclosporin and Belimumab Treatment of Lupus Nephritis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) remains challenging with high treatment failure and relapse rates. Current therapies often fail to achieve sustained renal remission. The objective of this research was to assess the safety and clinical effectiveness of dual therapy using voclosporin and belimumab in individuals with LN confirmed via kidney biopsy. Methods: Retrospective case series of 16 female patients (median age 36) with kidney biopsy-proven LN treated with voclosporin (15.8-23.7 mg BID) plus belimumab (200 mg SC weekly/IV) between 2012 and 2025 in routine clinical practice. Baseline was defined as the laboratory value closest to the first kidney biopsy. Longitudinal data for urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR), serum creatinine, C3/C4 complement, and anti-dsDNA antibodies were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: ≤ 0.0005). Serologic markers improved concurrently, with increases in complement levels (C3 65.0-109.5, C4 6.5-20.5) and a decline in median anti-dsDNA (51.5-12.0). 62.5% of patients tapered corticosteroids to ≤5 mg/day or discontinued them, while serum creatinine increased modestly from 0.77 to 0.89 mg/dL. Conclusions: The combination of voclosporin and belimumab is highly effective in inducing rapid and sustained renal remission and facilitating a significant reduction in corticosteroid dose in patients with LN.

Source: Glomerular Diseases

DOI: 10.1159/000552239

Authors: Homa Timlin, Abbal Koirala, Duvuru Geetha

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research

Subfield: Rheumatology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $990