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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Feb 15.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Med. 2012 Apr;125(4):327–336. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2011.09.010

Table 4.

Main Aspects of the Use of Belimumab that Remain to Be Clarified in Real-life SLE Patients

The clinical relevance of modest differences found in trials in comparison with the placebo arm
How ethnicity may influence response to belimumab
The use of belimumab in patients with refractory, severe manifestations
The use of belimumab in patients with lupus nephritis or CNS involvement
Which lupus manifestations may be most responsive to this therapy
At which point belimumab should be indicated during the disease course
The use of concomitant medications (corticosteroids, immunosuppressants)
The safety profile of belimumab
Therapy duration
The balance between clinical benefits and cost
Access to belimumab in countries where health provision is mainly private

CNS = central nervous system; SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus.