"Most importantly, we sourced help from experts from all over the world," said Dr. Boumpas, describing the task force that included 35 rheumatologists, 5 nephrologists, 2 methodologists, 2 patient representatives, and 2 fellows, all brought together from across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.
Session moderator Robert Landewé, MD, PhD, professor of clinical immunology and rheumatology at the University of Amsterdam, said that"the underlying heterogeneity and multisystem involvement of SLE can make it difficult to demonstrate and know which drugs work in the condition.
Referring to each recommendation statement in turn, Dr. Boumpas provided a detailed description of each, and highlighted any changes since the Referring to statement 1, Dr. Boumpas reported that hydroxychloroquine should be a first-line therapy at a dose of 5 mg/kg, but this dose should be individualized based on risk of flare and retinal toxicity."There was some discussion about monitoring blood levels, but this was to ensure adherence only," said Dr. Boumpas.