Glaxo says lupus drug study meeting goal
GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. and Human Genome Sciences Inc. said today that their experimental drug Benlysta met the goal of a second late-stage study in treating lupus, increasing the odds that the drug will make it to market against a disease that has few new treatments.
Patients benefited from a higher dose of Benlysta, but a lower dose failed, the study said.
If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the drug, Benlysta sales could total $1 billion, according to analysts' estimates.
GlaxoSmithKline has headquarters in London but employs several thousand in the Philadelphia region. Human Genome is based in Rockville, Md. - Miriam Hill
