January 2021  

A Letter from the President

I hope this email finds you well and safe.  

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to seeing you soon.  How soon? I guess we'll find out together as time moves on.  Our great hope is that we'll be able to get back to normal by the second half of the year.

There was some exciting news last week - a new drug was FDA approved for lupus nephritis!  Read more about this exciting news in this eNewsletter or on Aurinia's website here.

The LSI has been getting questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.  We're hosting our next webinar Understanding Lupus & the COVID-19 Vaccine on February 23, 2021.  Registration is free and required.  

Until then, we have reprinted Dr. Katz's article, Should People with Lupus Get the COVID-19 Vaccine  in this eNewsletter, we have the recording from the RUSH Lupus Clinic & the LSI Patient Education webinar we hosted on December 5, 2020, Getting to Know COVID-19 from a Socially Safe Distance.

We still have guaranteed spots for the upcoming Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle and Chicago Marathon.  

You can see below for more information or email mary@lupusil.org.

Both of these events are fun and inspiring ways to increase awareness about lupus.  Our teams always consist of warm and wonderful people on a mission to increase lupus awareness and raise funds for the LSI.  

We also have a new team member, Lisa Klaslo! Lisa is a long-time friend of the LSI who has also been a member of the Associate Board and has volunteered at our walks Men's tent and Raffle tent. Join us in welcoming Lisa!  You can reach her at lisa@lupsuil.org.

Together we make a difference.

Mary Dollear

FDA Approves Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ LUPKYNIS™ (voclosporin) for Adult Patients with Active Lupus Nephritis

LUPKYNIS is the first FDA-approved oral therapy for lupus nephritis (LN), a condition that causes irreversible kidney damage and increases the risk of kidney failure, cardiac events, and death -

- LUPKYNIS demonstrated significantly improved renal response rates compared to typical standard-of-care (SoC) in clinical trials

FULL ARTICLE

Understanding the Lupus & COVID-19 Vaccine
February 23, 2021 - 6:00pm - Web Meeting

Vaccines are thoughtful decisions for people living with lupus.  What unique concerns are there surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine?  

Join us as we talk with Dr. Karen Mancera-Cuevas, Deputy Director of Health Promotion at the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Registration required for web meeting access.

Bank of America
Chicago Marathon

LSI has your guaranteed spot!

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is back in 2021!  Get your guaranteed spot for this amazing event now!

LSI offers runners support every step of the way.  

Find out more here or call Mary at 312-648-6053.

Bank of America
Shamrock Shuffle

LSI has your guaranteed spot!

LSI has discounted spots for our team!  Join Lupus Charity Runners and you get $5 off the registration fee!  Fundraising minimum is $350 - and LSI makes that easy!

Find out more here or call Mary at 312-648-6053.

Should People with Lupus Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
By Dr. Robert Katz

On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)