{"id":413,"date":"2022-03-29T08:27:05","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T08:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/bio-logic-behind-lupus-treatment-a-disease-with-no-cure\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:14:46","slug":"lupus-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/general-health\/lupus-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Bio-Logic Behind Lupus Treatment: A Disease With No Cure"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-content-type=\"html\" data-appearance=\"default\" data-element=\"main\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Almost 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people globally experience some form of lupus symptoms. It can affect anyone, especially women of childbearing age.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">9 out of 10 lupus-affected adults are women, and 1 in 3 lupus cases suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">It is believed (10-15)% of people with lupus will die prematurely because of lupus complications. As per the Lupus Foundation of America-funded study, lupus was among the top 20 leading causes of death in females aged 5-64 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">This article is all on a type of autoimmune disease-causing inflammation in the body\u2019s connective tissues. It can affect anyone, especially women of age between 12-and 51 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Many of us must have experienced an unusual pain in the wrist once getting injured while playing outdoor games. The symptoms will appear as if your bones are getting weak, but the reason could be something else.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Many growing adults also face lupus rash (butterfly-shaped) covering the cheeks and bridge of the nose. Depending on the individual health, the lupus symptoms occur. Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure, but lupus treatment can help in controlling symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">In the last 10 years, a new medicine group known as biologics or biological, medical therapy has successfully treated lupus after many biological, clinical trials.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Is Lupus?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain in any part of the body. In this condition, the immune system responsible for fighting infections attacks the healthy tissues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Th infection can happen to anyone, but some people are born with a tendency to develop lupus. Other factors, such as some drugs or sunlight, just ignite the infection.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Causes Lupus?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">By the term autoimmune disease, it is clear lupus is caused due to our own body\u2019s immune system dysfunction. Basically, our immune system causes the disease by attacking healthy tissues in our body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Lupus depends on genetics and your environment. It is observed that people with an inherited predisposition for the disease will get triggered by some usage of drugs or their environment. Although these causes are based on the case studies, theoretically, the reason is unknown.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">But the scientists do know about the things that trigger the infection, they are:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Sunlight: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exposure to the sun has been found to work as a catalyst in lupus infection. Getting exposed to UV rays causes sunburn damaging the cells, which further gets damaged by the immune system among people with lupus infection. Leaving it untreated can lead to joint pain and fatigue.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Infections: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, when a person gets a fever(sick), his immune system fights against the fever and stops. But in the case of lupus patients, even after the sickness is resolved, the immune system keeps fighting. This time healthy tissue gets damaged.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Now the question comes which infections cause lupus? Here are they:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Cytomegalovirus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Epstein-Barr virus, responsible for mononucleosis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Herpes zoster virus responsible for shingles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Medicine side effects: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some medicines make our immune system overreact, causing drug-induced lupus. Around 50 different drugs are associated with inducing lupus. These medicines are often used for treating heart disease, thyroid disease, infections, and <a title=\"Hypertension: A chronic Illness That Can Be Prevented\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/general-health\/hypertension-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hypertension<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Now the question is, what drugs cause lupus? They are as follows:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Isoniazid (NIazid), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin) for infections<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Mycophenolate (Cellcept)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Penicillamine for rheumatoid arthritis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Methotrexate (Trexall, Xatmep, others)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Procainamide (Pronestyl) for heart rhythm complications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Quinidine (Quinaglute) for treating malaria and complications related to heart rhythm<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">leflunomide (Arava)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Hydralazine (Apresoline) for hypertension<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">If planning to overcome hypertension, here are some other medicines for it Doxazosin(<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/doxacard-4-mg-cardura.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Doxacard<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">), Amlodipine(<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/amlip-5-mg-norvasc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Amlip<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">), or Lisinopril+Hydrochlorothiazide(<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/cipril-h-5-12-5-mg-prinvil-h.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Cipril-H<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">). Ask your doctor, they might be a good substitute.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Also Read: <a title=\"Effective Ways to Distance Cholera Infection!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/general-health\/cholera-symptoms-causes-prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Effective Ways to Distance Cholera Infection<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How Does Lupus Make You Feel?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The symptoms depend on the location of the infection. But the most common ones are as follows:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Intense fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Fever<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Difficulty while breathing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Bruise easily<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Muscle aches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Skin rash on the face or body<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Extreme sun sensitivity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Weight loss<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Pain in chest<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Nose, mouth, or throat sores<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Enlarged lymph nodes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Poor circulation in fingers and toes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Bald patches and hair loss<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Less common symptoms include:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Confusion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Seizures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Anaemia<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Dizziness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Headaches<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Some lupus symptoms demand immediate medical help, such as:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Severe belly pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Shortness of breath<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Seizures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Pain in the chest<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Confusion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Severe headache with&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Neck stiffness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Fever<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What Happens When Lupus Goes Untreated?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Depending on the area of infection, lupus complications occur. They are categorized as:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Kidney: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death among people with lupus. The disease can cause severe kidney damage.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Central Nervous System &amp; Brain: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complications like headaches, dizziness, behaviour changes, vision problems, and even strokes or seizures may occur if lupus affects this area. Lupus patients may also experience memory problems and difficulty expressing their thoughts.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Blood: <\/strong>C<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">omplications can lead to anaemia or an increased risk of bleeding or blood clotting.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Lungs:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lupus complications in the lungs causes inflammation of the chest cavity lining, causing painful breathing. It also increases the risk of bleeding into the lungs and pneumonia.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Heart: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leaving lupus untreated located around the heart can inflate heart muscles, arteries, heart membrane, cardiovascular disease, and heart attack.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Is Lupus Inherited From Mother Or Father?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Lupus does not run in families, but some case studies have been found with inherited tendencies, although without a clear pattern. As per the Lupus Foundation of America:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">20% of the people with lupus were found to have the infection in parents or siblings with lupus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Others whose family history was free from lupus had one thing in common; other autoimmune diseases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">However, lupus isn\u2019t generally inherited from the parents directly. Mostly, people inherit a genetic predisposition, a mutation, or a set of mutations that increase the risk of having Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Therefore, not everyone with such genetic traits ends up having a lupus infection.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Is Lupus Cancer?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Developing the risk of cancer is one of the complications of lupus. This autoimmune disease is associated with the increased risk of certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma or cervix cancer. As per the researchers, immunosuppressive medications like azathioprine (Imuran) and mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept) contribute to cancer development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><span style=\"color: #3e9bf7;\"><a style=\"color: #3e9bf7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinslupus.org\/lupus-info\/lifestyle-additional-information\/lupus-cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as per the studies<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the cancer risk is actually greatest at the early stage of the disease.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How Is Lupus Diagnosed?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Diagnosing lupus can be difficult because its signs and symptoms often mimic other ailments. But the most distinctive sign of the disease is the rashes that resemble the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks. This occurs in the majority of lupus patients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Some of the most commonly used diagnostic tests for lupus are as follows:-<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Blood Tests<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Antinuclear Antibody (ANA): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a type of antibody directed against the cell nuclei. It is present in every one of us. The appearing pattern of the antibodies sometimes helps the doctors to determine the specific disease a person has.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Antiphospholipid Antibodies (APLs): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a type of antibody directed against phospholipids, present in up to 60% of people with the infection. Their presence can help the doctor confirm a diagnosis.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Anti-Sm: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an antibody directed against a specific protein in the nuclei cell, Sm. This protein is not present in people with lupus. So detecting this helps the doctor to know the presence of lupus infection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Anti-dsDNA: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a protein directed against double-standard DNA.&nbsp; Almost (75-90)% of the people with lupus have a positive anti-dsDNA test. This will help confirm the diagnosis.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">In some cases, negative anti-dsDNA tests fail to confirm the presence of the infection. As 25% of the patients were found negative in this test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Anti-Ro(SSA) and Anti-La(SSB): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These two proteins are commonly found together against ribonucleic acid (RNA) proteins. It is often found in 24-60% of patients. But just like other antibody tests, the test is not positive in many patients.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>C-Reactive Protein (CRP):<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is a protein that marks inflammation. This test can help the doctor monitor the inflammation and indicate disease activity or the treatment response.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It measures the speed of the moving RBCs and is also a marker of inflammation. This way, doctors try to know the changes in the activity of the disease.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Complete Blood Cell Count (CBC): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a test used to measure the count of different blood cells. Abnormalities in the blood cell counts may occur due to the infection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">A combination of these tests, as mentioned above, helps the doctor to know the presence of the lupus infection. Additionally, some urine tests can help diagnose symptoms, such as:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Urine Protein\/Microalbuminuria<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Creatinine Clearance&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Urinalysis<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How To Treat Lupus?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The lupus treatment depends on the symptoms and the severity. Consult with the doctor, he will guide you with the possible treatment as per your prevailing condition. Here are the possible ways of lupus treatment:-<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NSAIDs medications like naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may help in treating pain, swelling, and fever associated with lupus. The medicine can cause side effects, therefore consult with the doctor first before consuming it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Antimalarial drugs: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some medications commonly used to treat malaria, such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). It affects the immune system and can help decrease the risk of flares. However, it can also lead to side effects, therefore consult with the doctor before consuming.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Corticosteroids:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some types of corticosteroids like prednisone can counter the effects of lupus. Even some high doses of steroids like methylprednisolone (Medrol) are often prescribed to control severe kidney and brain diseases.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The medicine is associated with some risk of side effects involving weight gain, easy bruising, thinning bones, high blood pressure, <a title=\"7 Tips to Naturally Prevent Type 2 Diabetes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/general-health\/type-2-diabetes-prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">diabetes<\/a>, and increased risk of infection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Biologics:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It used to be a new treatment or therapy on the market in 2010. They are genetically engineered proteins based on the body\u2019s natural protein. They work on specific areas of the immune system, causing inflammation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Biologics are also called \u201cbiologic therapy,\u201d \u201cbiological therapy,\u201d \u201cbiologicals,\u201d or \u201cbiopharmaceuticals.\u201d This group of medicines covers a large class of drugs made of different types.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">There are 3 different types of biologics approved and being tested, such as:-<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Monoclonal antibodies&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Antibody fragments&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Bispecific antibody therapies<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/\" aria-label=\"Your Banner CTA\" class=\"post-inside-cta\">\r\n    <picture>\r\n        <source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Health_Mobile.webp\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Health_Desktop-scaled.webp\" alt=\"Your Banner CTA\" width=\"100%\" height=\"184\">\r\n    <\/picture>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<div style=\"height: 30px;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Almost 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people globally experience some form of lupus symptoms. It can affect anyone, especially women of childbearing age. 9 out of 10 lupus-affected adults are women, and 1 in 3 lupus cases suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases.&nbsp; It is believed (10-15)% of people with lupus will die prematurely because &#8230; <a title=\"Bio-Logic Behind Lupus Treatment: A Disease With No Cure\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/general-health\/lupus-treatment\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Bio-Logic Behind Lupus Treatment: A Disease With No Cure\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":390559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"schema_drug_name":"","schema_drug_sameas":"","schema_strip_mentions_drug":"","custom_head_after_canonical":"","geo_latitude":"","geo_longitude":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[108],"class_list":["post-413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-health","tag-lupus"],"rankmath_meta":{"title":"Understanding Lupus: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment","description":"What is lupus? Here is everything about the disease and its causes, diagnoses, treatment, and lupus cancer."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427629,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413\/revisions\/427629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodrxmedicine.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}