New drug to fight the debilitating immune disorder lupus – the disease that left Seal scarred

Patients with a debilitating immune system disorder that can cause skin rashes, joint pain and even death will receive a groundbreaking new treatment.

The disease lupus affects around 50,000 Brits and can also cause kidney problems and severe scarring.

Award-winning singer Seal, 61, best known for the hit Kiss From A Rose, developed a form of the disease in his 20s that left his face permanently disfigured.

Until recently, there were few effective treatment options.

Some available medications are associated with a number of dangerous side effects, including bone fractures and heart disease.

Experts assume that a new drug could improve the symptoms of those affected (archive image)

But last week researchers revealed that a new lupus drug produces “significant improvement” in the majority of sufferers.

Experts believe the once-a-month injection called dapirolizumab pegol could soon be available on the NHS.

“This is the first drug of its kind that appears to address a wide range of lupus symptoms,” says Dr. Ed Vital from the Leeds Institute for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine. “If it proves to be as effective as it appears in the early data, it could make a real positive difference for many patients.”

About nine out of ten patients are female, although the reasons are not yet fully understood. It is also more common in people of African, Caribbean and Asian descent.

Lupus is triggered when the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body. The cause is not known, but it may be related to viral infections, certain medications, and puberty.

Lupus is triggered when the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body (archive image)

Patients usually first experience symptoms in their early twenties – but the disease can begin as early as childhood.

Symptoms can change over time. Some patients experience fatigue and skin rashes, but kidney damage and joint pain may occur.

In severe cases, lupus can lead to life-threatening complications. Research suggests that about one in seven patients die from this disease within 15 years of diagnosis.

Until about a decade ago, there were no approved treatments for lupus in the UK. Steroids help control symptoms but often trigger side effects such as weight gain and strokes.

But in recent years a number of highly effective drugs have gained NHS approval. This also includes the belimumab injection, which was approved in 2021.