Attention to Lupus is Long Overdue! Better Understanding of Disease Leads to Better Therapies

In this episode of Derms and Conditions, host James Q. Del Rosso, DO, welcomes Joseph Merola, MD, for a clinically focused discussion on updates in cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Long considered an area with limited therapeutic progress, CLE is gaining renewed attention as advances in disease biology and immunopathogenesis begin to inform new therapeutic approaches.

They begin by discussing the importance of early recognition, particularly for scarring forms such as discoid lupus erythematosus, where permanent damage often drives diagnosis rather than earlier inflammatory changes. To help clinicians recognize disease activity sooner, Dr Merola shares a practical mnemonic (PASTE) highlighting features including follicular plugging, atrophy, scarring, telangiectasia, and erythema.

They next discuss the clinical nuances of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, including the need to evaluate for drug-induced disease. Medications such as hydrochlorothiazide and over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors may act as triggers and require careful medication history review.

They next review current and emerging treatment strategies. While first-line therapy remains centered on antimalarials such as hydroxychloroquine, attention is increasingly turning toward targeted therapies approved for other immune-mediated diseases. For example, anifrolumab, which inhibits type I interferon signaling and is approved for systemic lupus, has demonstrated activity in cutaneous lupus and is being evaluated in dedicated trials. Similarly, the TYK2 inhibitor deucravacitinib, approved for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, has shown signals of efficacy for lupus-associated skin disease in early studies.

They then discuss investigational therapies being developed specifically for lupus pathways. Among these is litifilimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting plasmacytoid dendritic cells to reduce type I interferon signaling. With fast-track designation and emerging clinical data, litifilimab highlights ongoing efforts to develop therapies directed at key immunologic drivers of both cutaneous and systemic lupus.

Tune in to the full episode to hear diagnostic pearls for recognizing CLE earlier, strategies for identifying drug-induced disease, and perspectives on emerging therapies under investigation for cutaneous lupus.