World Lupus Day tomorrow (Saturday, 10 May) is dedicated to raising awareness about lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions worldwide. The potentially debilitating autoimmune disease has no cure, and there are no fully effective therapies.
About one in 1000 Australians has lupus, and rates are higher in First Nations communities. Nine in 10 people with lupus are female and most develop it aged 15-45.
Available to comment:
Professor Eric Morand, Monash University Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine Dean, Monash Health Rheumatology Unit Head, and Monash Lupus Clinic founder
Contact details: Phone +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
Read more of Professor Morand’s lupus commentary at Monash Lens
- What lupus is
- Who it affects
- Treatments
The following can be attributed to Professor Morand:
“Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE, or simply lupus) is a serious disease of the immune system that leads to inflammation and damage in every part of the body – an autoimmune disease.
“It chiefly affects young adult women, causing permanent damage to vital organs, diminishing quality of life and, tragically, shortening life expectancy. No new treatments for SLE were approved for 60 years, meaning patients also suffer the burden of old-fashioned drugs like steroids with many side effects.
“In 2024, the PBAC approved the first-ever therapy targeted at lupus for listing on the PBS. This breakthrough was enabled by a global clinical trial led by myself, and by health economic analysis resting on a treatment outcome measure also developed by my team at Monash.
“Now, the pace of development of new medicines for lupus has dramatically accelerated, with multiple potential breakthrough therapies in clinical trials. Monash is working on novel discoveries to replace the use of steroids and inhibit only the harmful actions of the immune system, as well as mechanisms to make clinical trials more reliable and faster.
“On World Lupus Day, Monash brings the community of patients, families, researchers and clinicians together to share learnings and experiences and look towards a brighter future.”
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For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
