Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – Unmet Need – Unmet Need – Moderate to Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (US/EU)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect different organ systems of the body and manifest in a wide range of clinical symptoms, from general fatigue to serious renal and CNS manifestations. Most drugs used to treat SLE are older, generically available, and off-label. To date, GlaxoSmithKline’s Benlysta and AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo—both viewed by many physicians as only modestly effective—are the only drugs approved for moderate to severe SLE (excluding severe active renal and severe active CNS manifestations). Thus, unmet need remains high in the moderate to severe subpopulation, leaving significant commercial opportunity for novel SLE therapies that are more efficacious than Benlysta and Saphnelo.

Questions answered

• What are the treatment drivers and goals in moderate to severe SLE (excluding severe active renal and severe active CNS manifestations)? How do current therapies perform on key treatment drivers and goals for moderate to severe SLE?
• Which drug attributes are key influencers, which have limited impact, and which are hidden opportunities?
• What are the prevailing areas of unmet need and opportunity in the treatment of moderate to severe SLE?
• What trade-offs across different clinical attributes and price are acceptable to rheumatologists for a hypothetical new drug for moderate to severe SLE?

Product description

Unmet Need offers insight into key treatment drivers and goals, the performance of current therapies, and the remaining commercial opportunities, enabling you to:

• Evaluate clinical and nonclinical product attributes that influence treatment decisions through physicians’ weightings and analysis of stated vs. derived importance.
• Pinpoint areas of high unmet need by assessing current drug performance against key attributes and treatment drivers.
• Analyze market scenarios for different target product profiles using the TPP Simulator.

Key feature:

Target Product Profile (TPP) simulator tool allows for customizable market simulations based on conjoint analysis. Compare up to seven TPPs across multiple disease-specific attributes and price points to gauge which variables influence prescribing behavior.

Markets covered: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany

Primary research: Survey of 60 U.S. and 33 European rheumatologists fielded in January 2026

Key companies: GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Sandoz, Sanofi

Key drugs: Benlysta (IV and SC), Saphnelo, Rituxan / MabThera, CellCept, azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine