Global biopharmaceutical company UCB (Euronext Brussels:UCB) and US biotechnology company Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) on Thursday announced data demonstrating the clinical profile of dapirolizumab pegol (DZP), an investigational biologic, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Data presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2026 Congress showed that DZP plus standard of care was associated with sustained disease control at lower glucocorticoid doses through Week 48 compared with placebo plus standard of care, supporting reduced long-term steroid exposure.

Improvements in immunological markers and reduced flare rates were also observed, supporting the potential of DZP to address the complex burden of SLE.

Additionally, the data highlighted the importance of assessing patient-reported symptoms, including fatigue, to better measure disease burden and treatment impact in clinical practice and research.

The findings follow the publication of the Phase 3 PHOENYCS GO study in The Lancet, which reported clinically meaningful improvements in disease activity at Week 48. DZP demonstrated a generally favourable safety profile, with serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurring less frequently than in the placebo group and low discontinuation rates in both study arms.