Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – Unmet Need – Unmet Need – Lupus Nephritis (US/EU)

Renal inflammation associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), also known as lupus nephritis (LN), is among the most serious manifestations of the disease. Until 2020, no therapy was specifically approved for LN. Most treatments are old, genericized, and off-label, owing to the difficulty of developing novel treatments for this complex disease. In December 2020, the FDA granted a label extension for GlaxoSmithKline’s Benlysta, making it the first drug to gain approval for the treatment of active LN. In January 2021, Aurinia’s Lupkynis was granted FDA approval for the same patient population. Despite these recent approvals, unmet need remains high in this indication, leaving significant commercial opportunity for novel LN therapies.

Questions answered

• What are the treatment drivers and goals for active LN?
• Which clinical and nonclinical drug attributes are key influencers, which have limited impact, and which are hidden opportunities in the treatment of active LN?
• How do rheumatologists and nephrologists rate current therapies in terms of their performance on key treatment drivers and goals for active LN?
• What are the prevailing areas of unmet need and opportunity in the treatment of active LN?
• What trade-offs across key drug attributes and price are acceptable to physicians for a hypothetical new drug for LN?

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:

The Target Product Profile (TPP) Simulator tool allows for customizable market simulations based on conjoint analysis that depicts how physicians make decisions based on actual behavior rather than opinion. 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 30 U.S. and 30 European rheumatologists, and 30 U.S. nephrologists fielded in March 2025

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

Key drugs: Benlysta (IV & SC), Rituxan / MabThera, Lupkynis, CellCept, hydroxychloroquine, mycophenolate mofetil