Conventional immunosuppressive therapies have radically transformed patient 
survival in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but their use is associated with 
considerable toxicity and a substantial proportion of patients remain refractory 
to treatment. A more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of SLE 
immunopathogenesis has evolved over the past decade and has led to the testing 
of several biologic agents in clinical trials. There is a clear need for new 
therapeutic agents that overcome these issues, and biologic agents offer 
exciting prospects as future SLE therapies.An array of promising new therapies 
are currently emerging or are under development including B-cell depletion 
therapies, agents targeting B-cell survival factors, blockade of T-cell 
co-stimulation and anti-cytokine therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies 
against interleukin-6 and interferon-α.