Visual abstract | Efficacy of belimumab on renal outcomes: post-hoc analyses from phase III BLISS-LN trial

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus, affecting approximately 40% of the patients. Furthermore, around 44% of the patients with class IV LN develop end-stage kidney disease within 15 years. Notably, 13%–37% of patients undergoing standard therapy (ST) for LN experience renal flare within 3–5 years, emphasizing the need for novel treatments to preserve kidney function.

The phase III, randomized, double-blind BLISS-LN study (NCT01639339) has demonstrated that the addition of belimumab to ST improves renal outcomes in patients with active LN. However, data on its efficacy at different disease stages or with different induction regimens is limited. Here, we present a visual abstract summarizing post-hoc analyses from the BLISS-LN trial in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed LN, including those with or without glucocorticoid pulses at induction.¹