Medications	Indications	Dosage	Monitoring and precautions	Cost*
Azathioprine (Imuran)	Lupus nephritis, severe SLE	1.5 to 2.5 mg per kg per day	CBC and complete metabolic panel at least every three months to monitor for myelosuppression, hepatotoxicity, and lymphoproliferative disorders	$21 ($410) for 60 50-mg tablets
Belimumab (Benlysta)	SLE	10 mg per kg IV per day	Monitor for serious infection and malignancies	NA ($1,630) per 400-mg vial
Cyclophosphamide	Lupus nephritis, severe SLE	1 to 3 mg per kg per day	CBC and complete metabolic panel at least every three months to monitor for myelosuppression, malignancy, immunosuppression, and hemorrhagic cystitis	$365 (NA) for 30 50-mg capsules
Glucocorticoids	Low dose for treating SLE without major organ damage; higher doses for cerebritis, lupus nephritis, refractory conditions, and thrombocytopenia	Low dose: ≤ 10 mg prednisone per day Higher dose: 40 to 60 mg prednisone per day	Glucose levels every three to six months, and total cholesterol level and bone density testing annually; use with caution in patients with hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, or infection	$5 (NA) for 30 10-mg tablets; $9 (NA) for 60 20-mg tablets
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)	Long-term protective effect on SLE-related organ damage	200 to 400 mg per day	Ophthalmologic examination every six to 12 months to monitor for macular damage	$41 ($197) for 30 200-mg tablets
Methotrexate	Arthritis, cutaneous lupus, serositis, severe SLE	7.5 to 25 mg per week	CBC and complete metabolic panel at least every three months to monitor for myelosuppression, hepatic fibrosis, and pulmonary infiltrates and fibrosis	$15 (NA) for 12 2.5-mg tablets
Mycophenolate (Cellcept)	Lupus nephritis, refractory SLE	2 to 3 g per day	CBC and complete metabolic panel at least every three months to monitor for myelosuppression and infection	$49 ($1,880) for 240 250-mg capsules
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs	Lupus joint pain	Depends on preparation	CBC and renal testing annually; use with caution in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, liver or kidney disease, or hypertension	Depends on preparation
Rituximab (Rituxan)	Refractory severe SLE	Two 1-g doses IV, two weeks apart	CBC every two to four months; use with caution in patients with history of infusion reaction	NA ($12,000 to $15,600) per 1-g infusion