May is Lupus Awareness Month. It is a disease that is relatively common in the Caribbean yet many of us are unfamiliar with the condition.
Lupus is an autoimmune condition that can affect almost every system in the body and can range from being very mild with occasional symptoms to a severe life-threatening condition with difficult flares. The immune system is geared towards protecting the body from invaders such as viruses and bacteria.
In an autoimmune condition, the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. Whilst there are forms of lupus that affect only the skin, usually when speaking of lupus, doctors are referring to the systemic lupus where the internal organs are also involved.
Few AIM-listed drug development companies have late-stage clinical assets in the pipeline, ImmuPharma plc (LON:IMM) is an exception. The Company’s lead compound, Lupuzor™, a potential treatment for Lupus, has completed Phase 3 trial of dosing patients across the US, Europe and Mauritius with top line results announced.
