Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ANTH)

   Anthera Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation,

including cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. We currently have a Phase 2 clinical program, blisibimod.It was just recently approved by FDA to move into

PHASE 3
 

   Blisibimod targets elevated levels of B-cell activating factor (BAFF), which has been associated with a variety of B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Sjögren's Syndrome, Graves' Disease and others.


  It has taken the lupus research community over 50 years to produce a new therapy. Although it is now a year old, Benlysta (belimumab),

now marketed by GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences, is the first human monoclonal antibody for the treatment

of lupus.



  Benlysta had a slow take-off grossing $59.2 million in sales in the last three quarters of 2011, but it was approved in numerous

countries by year's end. Estimated sales for Benlysta in 2012 are said to be about $230 million, with first annual profits likely by 2015.

  The surprisingly slow uptake of Benlysta allows for blisibimod to develop into a promising drug as

it currently has more desirable features than that of Benlysta.

Blisibimod has a dosing regimen of one injection weekly, compared to that of Benlysta which requires a

series of dosing before the maintenance dose begins. Also, Benlysta has limitations on usage pertaining to

specific patient populations and has not been studied in combination with other biologics.

These attributes of blisibimod including a different mechanism of action, will set it apart from

Benlysta, Global Data concludes.