La Jolla Pharmaceutical Initiates Phase III Lupus Clinical Trial

(Newstream) -- A new drug candidate may offer hope to the half million people in the United States and Europe suffering from lupus kidney disease. They will have the opportunity to participate in a Phase III clinical trial of the drug, LJP 394, developed by La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company.

394 is designed to arrest the development of harmful antibodies that attack the kidneys.

Lupus kidney disease is the leading cause of sickness and death in lupus patients, accounting for many of the 100,000 lupus-related hospital admissions each year in the United States.

Researchers hope to enroll 300 patients in 75 centers across North America and Europe.

In the trial named "PEARL", or Program Enabling Antibody Reduction in Lupus, patients will receive weekly 100 mg doses of LJP 394 or placebo for the duration of the study. Interested patients are encouraged to contact La Jolla Pharmaceutical by calling 888/30-LUPUS for information about the trial

Patients who have enrolled in previous clinical trials of LJP 394 will be permitted to enroll in the Phase III trial if they meet all of the study criteria.

Lupus is a life-threatening autoimmune disorder which the body's immune system attacks it's own tissues. The typical course of the disorder includes successive periods of active disease andremission. The disease strikes mostly women in their childbearing years.

Renal flares, periods acute inflammation of the kidneys, are one of most serious complications of the disorder, often requiring repeated hospitalizations and can lead to dialysis.

Treatment of lupus has changed little over the 30 years. Existing treatments include high dose corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs which are extremely toxic and suppress the entire immune system, rendering the body susceptible to other illnesses.

LJP 394 represents an inovation in lupus kidney disease treatment. The drug is designed to suppress only the part of the immune system responsible for lupus kidney disease. Patients involved in previous trials of the drug appeared to tolerate LJP 394 well and experienced fewer renal flares than placebo treated patients.

Further information about the clinical trial may found by visiting La Jolla Pharmaceutical's Web site at www.ljpc.com.

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Produced for La Jolla Pharmaceutical

Contacts: La Jolla Pharmaceutical Andy Featherstone, 858/452-6600