AstraZeneca's Subcutaneous Saphnelo Shows Significant Disease Reduction in Landmark Lupus Trial

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) is one of the best future stocks to buy for the long term. On January 6, Barclays analyst James Gordon raised the firm’s price target on AstraZeneca to 16,500 GBp from 14,000 GBp, while maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares.

On the same day, AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) also published positive full results from the Phase III TULIP-SC trial, confirming that the subcutaneous/SC administration of Saphnelo (anifrolumab) significantly reduces disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus/SLE. This is a vital outcome for the over 3.4 million people globally living with SLE, as roughly 50% of patients develop irreversible organ damage within 5 years due to persistent disease activity and chronic steroid use.

The trial showed that weekly 120 mg SC doses were well tolerated, with a safety profile mirroring the IV version. While Saphnelo IV is already approved in 70+ countries and has treated 40,000+ patients, the new SC formulation was approved in the EU in December 2025 and is currently under regulatory review in the US and Japan. This self-administered option via a pre-filled pen allows patients to manage their treatment outside of a clinic, aligning with global recommendations that emphasize early intervention and the pursuit of clinical remission.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes prescription medicines.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.