Wilmington-based PPD, a global contract research organization, is collaborating with Lupus Therapeutics (LT), an affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance known for its lupus clinical trials expertise, according to a news release.

The collaboration is expected to expand and enhance lupus clinical research for PPD’s pharmaceutical and biotech customers, the release stated.

“Through the collaboration, PPD can provide enhanced protocol and trial optimization capabilities for its customers, drawing on LT’s scientific, operational and drug development expertise, as well as LT’s preferred investigators and Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN) sites,” the release stated. “In turn, in association with PPD, LT can provide patients with greater access to novel medicines and clinical care.”

PPD’s immunology team has a group of experienced professionals with extensive lupus expertise, along with board-certified rheumatologists with industry and in-house experience in efficacy reviews, safety monitoring and site training for SLE trials, according to the release.

The release stated that through the collaboration, PPD has access to the more than 50 LuCIN research sites with over 200 affiliated investigators, who collectively see more than 20,000 active systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

“Lupus Therapeutics is an exemplary organization to collaborate with because of its extensive lupus expertise,” said Karen Kaucic, PPD’s chief medical officer, in the release. “With site staff who have experience across multiple studies, a known, reliable network of investigators and sites ready to initiate clinical trials awarded work, and an established track record of success in this therapeutic area, we believe the collaboration between Lupus Therapeutics and PPD within immunology will play an important role in treating lupus.”

Through the joint endeavor, PPD and its customers are expected to benefit from the LT Patient Advocates for Lupus Studies (PALS) program, according to th release, through which patient-to-patient interactions aim to facilitate and improve clinical trial education and awareness for ongoing trial activities at participating LT centers.

“With the urgent need for new lupus treatments, we look forward to working with PPD on ways to accelerate and optimize the development of lupus clinical research,” said Albert T. Roy, executive director of Lupus Therapeutics, in the release. “We anticipate that the combined scientific, operational and drug development expertise within our two organizations will significantly increase the efficiency of lupus trials and enable us to obtain the lupus community’s perspective to incorporate into studies while they are being designed. Our goal is to deliver new therapies as quickly as possible that meet patients’ priorities.”

According to the release, lupus is a chronic condition in which a person’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs, causing inflammation that can damage any part of the body.

The release stated, "Lupus is difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms can imitate a wide variety of other ailments."