Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks healthy tissues and organs in the body; symptoms include fatigue, skin rashes, joint and muscle aches, and low grade fevers. An estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus, and the disease disproportionately affects women between the ages of 15 to 44. There is no cure for the disease but treatment of symptoms is available with varying success. Recently, the FDA approved a new drug specific for lupus, Benlysta. Prior to Benlysta, Plaquenil, an anti-malaria drug, has been the main treatment used for the past 50 years. A meta-analysis will be performed to investigate the efficacy of Benlysta as compared to Plaquenil for the treatment of lupus symptoms. It is hypothesized that Plaquenil will be more effective and associated with fewer adverse effects as compared to Benlysta. Results will be presented.
