Morand M, Furie R, Tanaka Y, et al. - Researchers designed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect anifrolumab in active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Individuals were assigned randomly in a 1:1 ratio to receive intravenous anifrolumab (300 mg) or placebo every 4 weeks for 48 weeks. In this study, 362 individuals have received the randomized intervention: 180 received anifrolumab and 182 received a placebo. In the anifrolumab group, the percentage of individuals who had a BICLA response was 47.8% and 31.5% in the placebo group. The data showed that the monthly administration of anifrolumab appeared in a higher percentage of individuals with a response at week 52 than did placebo, in contrast to the findings of a similar phase 3 trial including individuals with SLE that had a different primary endpoint. Compared with the placebo, they found that the frequency of herpes zoster was higher with anifrolumab.