Stronger Together: How Lupus Warriors Are Shaping the Future

The Lupus Therapeutics (LT) PALS Program: Empowering Lupus Patients Through Peer Advocacy and Clinical Trial Inclusion Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects racial and ethnically minoritized populations, particularly Black and Hispanic women. Despite this, clinical trials for lupus treatments have not been representative of diverse populations. Addressing this disparity is crucial to ensure more equitable access to cutting-edge treatments and to improve health outcomes for all patients. One innovative solution is the LT PALS (Patient Advocates for Lupus Studies) Program, a peer education initiative designed to increase awareness, knowledge, and participation in lupus clinical trials. Led by Dr. Saira Sheikh and Dr. Sam Lim alongside the dedicated team at Lupus Therapeutics and a group of devoted investigators, designed in partnership with individuals living with lupus, the PALS program highlights the power of lived experiences in overcoming barriers to participation and fostering trust in medical research. Racial Disparities in Lupus Clinical Trials Dr. Saira Sheikh, MD, the Linda Coley Sewell Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Director of Clinical Trials at the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center, and Chair of the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN), underscores a deep disparity in...