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Connective tissue diseases

What does the death of Riquent hold for the future of SLE?

In clinical trials testing new treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the failure of the 15-year drug development program for Riquent (abetimus sodium) is the latest in a string of disappointments for a disease that has seen no new drugs approved in over 50 years.

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Correspondence to Joan T. Merrill.

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The authors have acted as consultants for and received grant/research support from La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company.

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Merrill, J., Buyon, J. What does the death of Riquent hold for the future of SLE?. Nat Rev Rheumatol 5, 306–307 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2009.99

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