Thousands living with lupus offered hope from twice-yearly infusion

22 Jan 2026 12:40 PM

NICE approves breakthrough combination treatment that restores normal kidney function in almost half of patients with lupus nephritis.

The treatment has been approved for NHS use, offering new hope to the nearly 12,000 people in England living with lupus nephritis. Obinutuzumab (Gazyvaro), a twice-yearly infusion that, combined with daily immunosuppressant tablets, significantly outperforms the usual treatments for the disease.

Obinutuzumab works by targeting CD20, a protein on the surface of the white blood cells responsible for attacking the body in conditions like lupus.

Clinical trials showed 46% of patients achieved normal or near normal kidney function*, compared with just 33% on existing treatment alone, which is usually an immunosuppressant tablet.

This combination treatment has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life for people living with lupus nephritis. The evidence shows obinutuzumab improves outcomes, helping to restore normal kidney function, prevent long-term organ damage and reduce the risk of kidney failure.

Helen Knight, NICE Director of medicines evaluation

Lupus nephritis is a disease where the immune system turns on the kidneys, causing inflammation that can lead to permanent scarring, kidney failure and, ultimately, the need for dialysis or transplant. The condition disproportionately affects women and people from Asian and Black African or Caribbean backgrounds.

It's encouraging to see more treatments for lupus, which affects many younger people and is a difficult condition to manage. Recent studies found people who received this treatment were less likely to have a deterioration in their kidney function by the end of the trial than those receiving a placebo.

Fiona Loud, Policy Director at Kidney Care UK

Patients told NICE's independent committee that the disease dominates their lives with crushing fatigue, painful swelling, disrupted sleep, and the constant anxiety of unpredictable flare-ups that can derail work, relationships and daily routines.

NHS England will make obinutuzumab available within three months of final guidance publication, supported by a confidential commercial arrangement that ensures value for money.

We are very pleased that another treatment option has been approved for lupus nephritis. Lupus nephritis is challenging to manage and current treatments don't work well for everyone, which can lead to long-term kidney damage. We hope that this decision will support more people to have an improved quality of life and live well with lupus nephritis.

Debbie Kinsey, Health Information, Policy, & Research Manager at Lupus UK

Around 60,000 people in England and Wales live with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with approximately 3,000 new diagnoses each year. Up to 60% will develop kidney involvement.