CALENDAR:
October 20
"Moving with Lupus" class in conjunction with Regan Moves (TM). LFNC Office. Learn More.
October 20
Patient Education Class, English, Kaiser Santa Clara
November 10
Patient Education Class, Spanish, Kaiser Santa Clara
December 18
2012 Lupus Treatment and Research Update (mini-conference), Women's Building, San Francisco
Click here to see our full calendar of events and add them to your own calendar here!
Benlysta Webcast/Teleconference Series
Presented by Human Genome Sciences/GlaxoSmithKline
Sep 26 | Oct 24 | Nov 28
8pm ET
Tune in from home!
A different lupus-related topic will be addressed each month such as Benlysta and the infusion process, how to strengthen communications with your doctors, tips for managing lupus, and information about financial assistance.
To register for these free events, call 1-877-423-6597
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35 years. $35,000. Help us get there!
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Information contained in this e-Newsletter should not be considered a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or management of S.L.E. and symptoms by a physician.
Missed a previous issue of this e-Newsletter?
You can now view our ARCHIVES.
Editor: Spandan Chakrabarti
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LFNC is an active partner in
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Connect with us on
via "Lupus Online"
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LFNC's Social Media Program is funded through a generous grant from THE HENRY L. GUENTHER FOUNDATION GEORGE H. SANDY FOUNDATION GLAXOSMITHKLINE |
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You are receiving this newsletter because you have subscribed or have participated in our programs or events. We respect your time and privacy. If you prefer not to continue receiving the newsletter, you can click on the "safe unsubscribe" button below. We hope, however, that you will opt to remain on our newsletter list for important information and life-saving tips that you or someone you know may benefit from now or in the future.
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Belimumab Deemed Safe for Long-Term Treatment of Lupus
Belimumab is the clinical name for Benlysta, the first lupus drug approved in 50 years. Even after a drug's approval, efficacy and safety studies continue, and one such study released last week deems the drug to be safe for long term use.
Belimumab is safe for long-term administration in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study published in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. [...]
The researchers found that, over four years of belimumab exposure, incidence rates of adverse events (AEs), severe/serious AEs, infusion reactions, infections, malignancies, grades 3/4 laboratory abnormalities, and discontinuations due to AEs were stable or declined. Arthralgia, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, fatigue, and nausea were the most common AEs. Only one serious infusion reaction occurred. No specific type of infection predominated and rates of serious infection decreased from 5.9/100 patient-years to 3.4/100 patient-years.
"In this long-term continuation analysis, belimumab was safe and generally well-tolerated over four years of treatment in combination with standard therapy for SLE," the authors write.
This is particularly welcome news for the lupus community, since long term use of many drugs used to treat lupus patients - especially steroids - can have serious side effects. Read more here.
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Register for Our Patient Education Class Today!
 The class is on Saturday! Our patient education program is presented by a trained instructor and is designed for lupus patients who have been recently or newly-diagnosed to enable them to learn the basic facts about lupus in a comfortable setting. Family members are welcome to attend. You will learn about:
- Lupus diagnosis, causes and medical treatments
- Lupus self-management, including the use of CAM
- Available resources for Lupus patients; and
- Current research related to Lupus
Education Class in English: Education Class for Newly and Recently Diagnosed Lupus Patients
Saturday, October 20, 2012, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Santa Clara Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building.
710 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95051
Please complete this web form and enter your payment information after you have completed submitting the form. You may also download the offline form, complete it and fax it with your payment information. Our fax number is 408-954-8129. The class fee is $20 for individuals and $35 for couples, but no one will be turned away for inability to pay. If you have any question or would like to register by phone, call 408-954-8600. Light refreshments will be served.
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Your 2013 Calendar - with Lupus Facts.
12 Lupus Facts. 12 Adorable Puppies. 12 Months. All of them have come together to make this One Awesome Calendar! Our 2013 desk calendar will include a Lupus Fact every month, along with a picture of one of our Mascot Contest contestant puppies from our Run & Walk this year. 12 adorable four-legged contestants entered, and each of them is featured on one month.
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Grand Prize: A Mercedes-Benz C300. Plus Two iPads for Early Birds.
This is a great way to help out the Lupus Foundation and support our work in patient services, education and research, you can start buying tickets right away!
Ticket prices are changing a bit this year: you will be able to buy each ticket for $75, three (3) tickets for $200 and five (5) for $300. In addition to the Mercedes, participants who buy their tickets early will also have the chance to win up to two iPads! Early bird drawings will be held on December 14 and March 15.
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2012 Lupus Treatment and Research Update: December 18, 2012
 Our winter mini-conference promises to be exciting and useful for patients, families and health professionals alike. Maria Dall'Era, M.D., will be headlining our conference.
Dr. Dall'Era is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the Rheumatology Clinical Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco. She is also the Director of the UCSF Lupus Clinic, UCSF Center Director of the Lupus Clinical Trials Consortium (LCTC), and Principal Investigator of the California Lupus Surveillance Project (CLSP). Her talk will focus on the latest treatment strategies and research studies on lupus and will share significant updates from the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology to be held in Washington, D.C. in November.
The conference will also feature other speakers -- experts and patients alike -- on lupus and related topics. Visit www.lfnc.org for conference program updates.
Date and Time:
Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 11 am to 4 pm.
Venue:
The Women's Building, Auditorium
3543 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Registration fee:
$50 for nurses desiring CEU credits (5 CEU credits)
$30 for non-credit attendees
Current LFNC members are entitled to $10 off registration fee. Box lunch included.
No one will be turned away for inability to pay.
Please click here to register. You may also register by mail or fax by completing this form, or by calling us at 408-954-8600.
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