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Monoclonal antibody | |
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Type | Whole antibody |
Source | Human |
Target | Interferon α/β receptor |
Clinical data | |
Trade names | Saphnelo |
Other names | MEDI-546, anifrolumab-fnia |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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Pregnancy category | |
Routes of administration | Intravenous |
Drug class | type I interferon receptor antagonist (IFN) |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
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Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C6444H9964N1712O2018S44 |
Molar mass | 145119.20 g·mol−1 |
Anifrolumab, sold under the brand name Saphnelo, is a monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.[5][7] It binds to the type I interferon receptor, blocking the activity of type I interferons such as interferon-α and interferon-β.[medical citation needed]
Anifrolumab was approved for medical use in the United States in July 2021,[5][8][9][10][11] and in the European Union in February 2022.[6] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers it to be a first-in-class medication.[12]
In systemic lupus erythematosus, the body can produce a great amount of type 1 interferon, which activates the immune system excessively and creates problems for lupus patients. Anifrolumab acts to block IFN-1 from sending signals to other immune cells, which prevents the body from being attacked by itself.[13]
The most common adverse effect was shingles, which occurred in 5% of patients in the low-dose group, to 10% in the high-dose group, and to 2% in the placebo group. Overall adverse effect rates were comparable in all groups.[14]
The drug was developed by MedImmune, a unit of AstraZeneca, which chose to move anifrolumab instead of sifalimumab into phase III trials for lupus in 2015.[15][16][17]
On 16 December 2021, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Saphnelo, intended for the treatment of moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus.[6] The applicant for this medicinal product is AstraZeneca AB.[6] Anifrolumab was approved for medical use in the European Union in February 2022.[6][18]
Anifrolumab is the international nonproprietary name (INN).[19]