Exclusion criteria: <br>1. Currently active retinitis, poorly controlled seizure disorder,<br>acute confusional state, myelitis, stroke or stroke syndrome,<br>cerebellar ataxia or dementia.<br>2. Severe renal impairment as defined by calculated (Cockcroft-Gault) GFR < 25 mL/min, or the presence of oliguria or renal biopsy results indicating chronic<br>irreversible renal scarring.<br>3. Lack of peripheral venous access.<br>4. Pregnancy or breast feeding mothers.<br>5. History of severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions to humanized, chimeric or murine monoclonal antibodies or i.v. immunoglobulin.<br>6. Known severe chronic pulmonary disease.<br>7. Evidence of significant uncontrolled concomitant diseases in<br>any organ system not related to SLE (e.g. renal thrombosis,<br>atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus,<br>accelerated hypertension, poorly controlled COPD or asthma<br>etc), which, in the investigator’s opinion, would preclude<br>patient participation.<br>8. Concomitant condition (e.g. asthma, Crohn’s disease, etc)<br>which has required treatment with systemic corticosteroid<br>(excluding topical or inhaled steroids) at any time in the<br>52 weeks prior to screening.<br>9. Known HIV or chronic active Hepatitis B or chronic active<br>Hepatitis C infection.<br>10. Known active, clinically significant infection of any kind (with the exception of fungal infection of nail beds or oral thrush) or any major<br>episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment<br>with intravenous anti-infectives in the 14 days prior to Day 1. Patients may be enrolled in the presence of recent minor infections not requiring treatment with anti-infectives (e.g. viral upper respiratory tract infection, viral gastroenteritis), if in the investigator´s opinion, the infection has resolved prior to Day 1 and is unlikely to persent additional risk to the subject.<br>11. History of serious recurrent or chronic infection. A chest<br>radiograph will be performed during screening, if not<br>performed in the 12 weeks prior to screening, to assess<br>infection. If there is any evidence of pulmonary infection a<br>chest radiograph should be performed.<br>12. History of cancer, including solid tumors, hematological<br>malignancies and carcinoma in situ (except basal cell<br>carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix uteri that has been excised and cured).<br>13. History of alcohol or drug abuse in the 52 weeks prior to<br>screening.<br>14. Major surgery in the 4 weeks prior to screening, excluding<br>diagnostic surgery.<br>15. Previous treatment with CAMPATH-1H.<br>16. Previous treatment with a BAFF directed treatment<br>(e.g. anti-BLyS) in the 12 months prior to screening.<br>17. Previous treatment with a B-cell targeted therapy (e.g. anti-CD20, anti-CD22) other than one directed at BAFF.<br>18. Treatment with any investigational agent in the 28 days prior<br>to screening or within five half-lives of the investigational<br>drug (whichever is longer).<br>19. Receipt of any live vaccines in the 6 weeks prior to Day 1.<br>20. Intolerance or contraindication to oral or i.v. corticosteroids.<br>21. Treatment with more than 1 g CYC (cumulative dose) in the<br>6 months prior to screening period.<br>22. Receipt of more than 3 g i.v. pulse methylprednisolone (cumulative<br>dose) within the 12 weeks prior to screening.<br>23. Receipt of prednisone doses > 20 mg/day ( or equivalent including parenteral corticosteroids, except for pulse steroids as defined in exclusion criteria #22) for longer than 14 days within a 12 weeks period prior to screening. During the 14 days prior to scr