Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Benlysta and IVIG Infusion Options
Lupus can affect nearly any part of the body. For patients whose disease isn't fully controlled by standard medication, infusion therapy offers additional options.
What is lupus?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue throughout the body, potentially affecting the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, and nervous system. Symptoms and severity vary widely from person to person, which is part of what makes lupus challenging to manage.
Common symptoms include joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes (including the classic butterfly-shaped facial rash), and sensitivity to sunlight, though kidney and organ involvement are what make more aggressive treatment necessary for some patients.
How infusion therapy helps
Benlysta (belimumab) is a biologic infusion therapy approved specifically for lupus, working by targeting a protein (BLyS) that fuels the overactive B-cells driving the autoimmune response, used for patients whose disease isn't adequately controlled by standard treatment alone.
IVIG is also used in certain situations, particularly for specific complications or when other immune-suppressing treatments aren't well tolerated, helping to modulate the immune response more broadly.
Living with lupus that needs more than standard treatment?
Our physician-led team coordinates Benlysta or IVIG therapy closely with your rheumatologist.
Call (551) 336-5580This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Treatment decisions should always be made with your physician based on your individual diagnosis and health history.