Anifrolumab in Refractory Discoid Lupus Erythematosus without Systemic Involvement: A Case Series of Five Patients

Xie L, Lopes Almeida Gomes L, Stone CJ, Faden DF, Werth VP. An update on clinical trials for cutaneous lupus erythematosus. J Dermatol 2024; 51: 885–894. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1346-8138.17161

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie e.V., Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft e.V., Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Dermatologie. Diagnostik und Therapie des kutanen Lupus erythematodes (S2k-Leitlinie); 2020. [cited 2025 April 28]. Available from: https://www.awmf.org/uploads/tx_szleitlinien/013-060l_S2k_Kutaner_Lupus_erythematodes_2020-06-verlaengert.pdf.

Furie R, Khamashta M, Merrill JT, Werth VP, Kalunian K, Brohawn P, et al. Anifrolumab, an anti–interferon‐α receptor monoclonal antibody, in moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatol 2017; 69: 376–386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/art.39962

Furie RA, Morand EF, Bruce IN, Manzi S, Kalunian KC, Vital EM, et al. Type I interferon inhibitor anifrolumab in active systemic lupus erythematosus (TULIP-1): a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Rheumatol 2019; 1: e208–e219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(19)30076-1

Plüß M, Piantoni S, Wincup C, Korsten P. Rapid response of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus skin manifestations to anifrolumab—a case-based review of clinical trial data suggesting a domain-based therapeutic approach. J Clin Med 2022; 11: 3449. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11123449

Morand EF, Furie RA, Bruce IN, Vital EM, Dall’Era M, Maho E, et al. Efficacy of anifrolumab across organ domains in patients with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus: a post-hoc analysis of pooled data from the TULIP-1 and TULIP-2 trials. Lancet Rheumatol 2022; 4: e282–e292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(21)00317-9

Baechler EC, Batliwalla FM, Karypis G, Gaffney PM, Ortmann WA, Espe KJ, et al. Interferon-inducible gene expression signature in peripheral blood cells of patients with severe lupus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2003; 100: 2610–2615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0337679100

Braunstein I, Klein R, Okawa J, Werth VP. The interferon-regulated gene signature is elevated in subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus and discoid lupus erythematosus and correlates with the cutaneous lupus area and severity index score. Br J Dermatol 2012; 166: 971–975. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10825.x

Billi AC, Ma F, Plazyo O, Gharaee-Kermani M, Wasikowski R, Hile GA, et al. Non-lesional and lesional lupus skin share inflammatory phenotypes that drive activation of CD16+ dendritic cells. Immunology. Preprinted posted online 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.17.460124

Hile GA, Werth VP. Understanding the role of type I interferons in cutaneous lupus and dermatomyositis: toward better therapeutics. Arthritis Rheumatol 2025; 77: 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/art.42983

Niewold TB. Interferon alpha as a primary pathogenic factor in human lupus. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2011; 31: 887–892. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jir.2011.0071

Rönnblom L, Leonard D. Interferon pathway in SLE: one key to unlocking the mystery of the disease. Lupus Sci Med 2019; 6: e000270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/lupus-2018-000270