Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that trial drug voclosporin successfully completed a clinical drug-drug interaction study in people with lupus. The findings demonstrate the drug has no clinically significant interactions with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), a treatment considered to be part of the current standard of care for lupus nephritis (LN) in the U.S. Thus, the study provides further support for the use of voclosporin in addition to MMF and corticosteroids in the treatment of LN.

Voclosporin is a type of immunosuppressant known as a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) that has been shown to be stronger, more predictable, and safer than some similar drugs on the market today. In past studies, other types of CNIs have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of MMF when the two therapies are used together. The latest data suggest that voclosporin, therefore, may have an advantage over the some of the other CNIs used today.

This is exciting news that brings the lupus community one step closer to another treatment option for LN. Continue to follow the Lupus Foundation of America for updates on voclosporin and learn more about medications used to treat lupus.

Read the study