China Launches Standardized SLE Treatment Centers to Address Widespread Misdiagnosis and Promote 'Dual Target' Therapy

Economic Daily - China Economic Net, May 10 (Reporter Han Lu): Today (May 10) marks the annual "World Lupus Day." Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and systems throughout the body. According to data from the "2019 Report on the Development of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China," among the nearly one million SLE patients in China, up to 85.7% receive glucocorticoid therapy, and 61.7% of patients use glucocorticoids at doses >7.5 mg/day. As a cornerstone of SLE treatment, higher doses and longer durations of glucocorticoid use are associated with an increased risk of organ damage in patients, while dose reduction often leads to disease flares, causing further organ impairment. It is reported that 20% of SLE patients in China already have irreversible organ damage, with infections and renal involvement being the leading causes of death among Chinese SLE patients.

　　Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment of SLE in China Still Needs Improvement

Zeng Xiaofeng, Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases and Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stated, “The standardization of diagnosis and treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China still needs improvement. First, there is a shortage of rheumatologists; to date, many tertiary hospitals still lack dedicated rheumatology departments. Consequently, many patients seek care in various outpatient clinics based on their clinical symptoms, leading to widespread missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses in early-stage lupus. Second, primary care physicians have an unclear understanding of the ‘treat-to-target’ concept outlined in the ‘2020 Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,’ and patient prognosis management is inadequate. This hinders comprehensive disease management and recovery, posing certain challenges to early screening and diagnosis, long-term standardized treatment, and the implementation of treat-to-target strategies for SLE.”

　　"The 'Dual Target' Concept Helps Lupus Patients Better Control the Disease"

The “2020 Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” state that the principles of SLE treatment are early and individualized therapy, aimed at maximizing the delay in disease progression, reducing organ damage, and improving prognosis. The short-term goals of SLE treatment are to control disease activity, improve clinical symptoms, and achieve clinical remission or the lowest possible disease activity level; the long-term goals are to prevent and reduce relapses, minimize adverse drug reactions, prevent and control organ damage caused by the disease, achieve sustained long-term remission, reduce mortality, and improve patients’ quality of life. To this end, based on a clear distinction between short- and long-term goals, the “dual-target” concept can help lupus patients better control their disease, namely achieving control of disease activity with a low glucocorticoid dose (≤7.5 mg/day) in the short term, and delaying the progression of organ damage and reducing mortality in the long term.

　　Launch of the First Batch of “SLE Centers”: 42 Institutions Planned for Inclusion This Year

On the occasion of the 18th World Lupus Day, China’s first batch of “Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Centers for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” (hereinafter referred to as “SLE Centers”) was officially launched. The initiative is hosted by the Rheumatology and Immunology Rehabilitation Professional Committee of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and the National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, with support from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The project relies on the National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases and has garnered support from an expert committee composed of numerous renowned experts in the field of lupus, led by Professor Zeng Xiaofeng, Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases and Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. It is expected that 42 standardized SLE diagnosis and treatment centers will be established across 24 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions this year.

Professor Li Mengtao, Secretary-General of the National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases and Deputy Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stated: “Guided by the ‘2020 Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE),’ the SLE Center will integrate standardized processes for SLE diagnosis and management, encompassing screening, systematic evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Through initiatives such as nationwide guideline tour lectures, short videos on standardized diagnosis and treatment, telemedicine/multidisciplinary collaboration, patient community establishment, and popular science lectures, we will continuously expand coverage and extend services to grassroots levels, forming a center network. This will enhance physicians’ proficiency in standardized SLE diagnosis and treatment, thereby helping more lupus patients achieve the ‘dual target’ of treatment, escape the dilemma of long-term high-dose glucocorticoid therapy, delay the progression of organ damage, improve quality of life, and attain long-term disease remission.”

　　Innovative Biologic Therapies Improve Quality of Life for Lupus Patients

Professor Zeng Xiaofeng stated, “The Government Work Report released during this year’s Two Sessions highlighted expanding the pilot programs for the construction of National Medical Centers and Regional Medical Centers, strengthening the workforce of general practitioners and rural doctors, and accelerating the development of a tiered diagnosis and treatment system as key priorities. The launch of the SLE Center project is a significant step toward expediting the implementation of national strategic deployments. We will actively promote the establishment of a sustainable model for clinical research on immune-mediated diseases in China, with the aim of improving the quality of life for patients with lupus.”

Qi Xin, Vice President of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and General Manager of China Prescription Drugs and Vaccines, stated, “Helping people do more, feel better, and live longer has always been our mission. Since belimumab was approved in the United States in 2011 as the first biologic agent for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in nearly 60 years, GSK has been deeply committed to the SLE field in China for a decade. We have observed that standardized diagnosis and treatment of lupus in China require further strengthening. To spare the vast majority of SLE patients from the burdens of the disease, we actively support the development of SLE center projects and continuously facilitate the implementation of the national tiered diagnosis and treatment policy, thereby fulfilling our long-term commitment to ‘be rooted in China, partner with China, and serve China.’ Benefiting from the government’s acceleration of new drug approvals and relevant medical insurance policies, an increasing number of adult and pediatric lupus patients are benefiting from innovative biologic therapies, achieving ‘dual targets.’”