NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Reuters Health) -- An experimental drug may benefit
patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease that usually strikes
young women, causing arthritis and chronic inflammation. The drug, GL701
(prasterone), is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring hormone,
dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
GL701 appears to improve quality of life, reduce arthritis and fatigue,
and decrease flare-ups of the disease, reported Dr. Philip J. Mease of the
University of Washington in Seattle at the 8th International Scientific
Conference on Lymphocyte Activation and Immune Regulation in Newport Beach,
California.
In their study, Mease and colleagues looked at 265 patients who were
randomly assigned to take either GL701 or an inactive placebo for one year. The
investigators found that 66% of patients taking GL701 showed improvement
compared with 49% of patients on a placebo. About 24% of patients taking GL701
had a flare-up of the disease, compared with 31% of patients on placebo.
The side effects of the hormone were generally mild and included acne and
facial hair growth. The treated women also had a drop in HDL ("good")
cholesterol.
One unexpected side effect of the drug was an increase in the patient's
bone density, Mease told Reuters Health. Patients with SLE usually take immune
system-suppressing steroid drugs, such as prednisone, that can weaken bones.
"We were surprised at how robust the effect was," Mease said. The
researchers found that those taking GL701 had a 2% increase in bone mineral
density in their spine while those taking the placebo had a 2% decrease in spine
density at the same time. "These patients were on a steady dose of prednisone,"
Mease noted. "This was a direct effect of the drug."
GL701 appears to decrease certain factors in the blood that promote
inflammation, including interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. "It
probably has other immunological effects that are still being researched," he
said.
The drug may have the greatest benefit in patients with lupus-like
symptoms, which make up about 1% of the population, Mease said. The drug is less
helpful for patients with advanced disease, he added.
