Study shows Krill Oil improves Omega-3 deficiency in Lupus Patients

A new study, published in Lupus Science & Medicine, shows that phospholipid-rich krill oil supplementation (Superba Boost krill oil) helped to increase Omega-3 Index significantly among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with the control group within the first month of supplementation. Secondary results found no reduction in disease activity was seen among the general group of lupus patients, but the post-hoc sub-analysis showed temporary reduced disease activity among those with severe disease as defined by a commonly used measurement tool.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly called lupus) is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. In lupus, the immune system, meant to defend against infections, produces antibodies that mistakenly recognise the body’s own cells as foreign, prompting other immune cells to attack and potentially damage organs such as the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, blood, skin, and joints.

The trending positive effects of krill oil supplementation for lupus patients

The multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 78 adult patients with active SLE (n = 39 per group). Eligible patients were randomised to receive 4 g/day krill oil or placebo (a vegetable oil mixture) for the first 24 weeks, and thereafter patients could opt to enter an open-label extension with krill oil supplementation. The primary endpoint was improvement of red blood cell Omega-3 Index from baseline to Week 24. Changes in clinical features including those captured by the commonly used measurement tool SLEDAI-2K were also monitored.

The Omega-3 Index, which measures the levels of omega-3 fatty acids, was consistently low in the test groups, suggesting deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids among lupus patients. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with cardiovascular health.

Treatment with krill oil significantly increased the Omega-3 Index within one month and maintained this improvement throughout the 48-week trial. Research has shown that people with lupus are at an elevated risk of cardiovascular complications. Increasing Omega-3 Index to an optimal level through krill oil supplementation may show benefit for this population and warrants further study.

The post-hoc subgroup analysis also showed that disease activity scores during the first 16 weeks of krill oil supplementation decreased among these nine lupus patients with higher disease activity at baseline compared to the placebo group. However, the difference was not significant at 24 weeks, warranting further study to understand the potential benefit.

“This clinical study is hopeful for the estimated 5 million people worldwide living with lupus,” said Line Johnsen, SVP Human Health Ingredients R&D, Aker BioMarine. “We were pleased to work with the Lupus Research Alliance and the clinical affiliate Lupus Therapeutics to conduct the study. We were also pleased to see that in a small subset of study participants with severe lupus, phospholipid-rich krill oil temporarily lessened the severity of symptoms associated with the disease while increasing the Omega-3 Index.”

“Our mission is to improve human health, and since inception we have prioritised research & development, and intellectual property to understand the nutritional value and potential health benefits of krill oil nutrients,” said Matts Johansen, CEO, Aker BioMarine. “This new study is one of the biggest investments we have contributed to in regard to clinical trials, and we are excited to see what the future holds.”

“It’s gratifying that we were able to correct the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acid levels in lupus patients,” commented principal investigator Jane E. Salmon, MD, Director of the Lupus APS Center of Excellence and Co-Director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research, at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York.  “Restoring these levels has the potential to influence cardiovascular risk and there are suggestions that it improves disease activity. The clinical benefits must be demonstrated in future studies.”

The study was conducted at 20 research centers in the United States by Aker BioMarine and the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN) overseen by Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA). AMPEL BioSolutions, a Precision Medicine company specialising in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, was instrumental in planning, executing, and reporting on this study.

Peter E Lipsky, MD, CEO of AMPEL BioSolutions noted, “This was a team effort that documented patients with lupus were uniformly omega-3 fatty acid deficient and that supplementation with krill oil could replenish the deficiency safely.”

LRA President and CEO Albert T. Roy commented, “Through this clinical study, initial data shed some light on a potential supportive option of Omega 3 for people with lupus. While not statistically significant, there were preliminary signals of improved disease activity in the small subset of patients with more severe lupus.  These results will need to be confirmed with further study.  Individuals should not make any changes to their treatment regimen without speaking with their healthcare provider.”