Big Bet on Lupus Drug

Gene-mapping pioneer Human Genome Sciences Inc. has yet to translate its cool science into something it can sell. Today, it moves a step closer.

The Rockville, Maryland-based company and partner GlaxoSmithKline Plc say late trials of the experimental drug Benlysta for lupus show the treatment is effective. The next step: The companies seek approval in the U.S. and Europe next year to sell the first new lupus treatment in a half century. If approved, the drug may top $1 billion in annual sales, according to some analysts.

For years, investors in Human Genome Sciences hoped the company's genetic research could be parlayed into a blockbuster drug. But the company has yet to bring a product to market.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease prevalent in young women and can lead to severe rashes and arthritis. Developing new treatments has eluded scientists for decades. Investors bid up Human Genome Sciences' stock in July after the company said Benlysta was successful in an earlier trial.

There's much at stake for Human Genome Sciences. The company is a pioneer in genetic mapping to understand the cause of diseases. Now it has to show it can make some money.