Description
What is Benlysta (120mg)?
Benlysta is a prescription medication that is used in combination with other medicines to treat active systemic lupus erythematosus in adults. The active ingredient is belimumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits the B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) protein, a B-cell survival factor. By reducing BLyS activity, autoantibody production is decreased, which in turn helps modulate autoimmune disease activity.
Benlysta is supplied as 120mg of lyophilized powder in a single-use vial. After this powder undergoes reconstitution and dilution, it should be administered via intravenous infusion.
What is Benlysta used for?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissue, causing inflammation and long-term complications. It can affect the joints, bones, skin, mucous membranes, and other organs. Benlysta is the first treatment developed specifically for treating SLE. It is meant to be used together with standard therapy approaches (e.g. corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, etc.) to reduce the disease activity so as to bring about improvements in symptoms and a decrease in the risk of severe flares.
