A Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Belimumab in Adults With Interstitial Lung Disease Associated With Connective Tissue Disease

Eligibility Criteria

• * Documented diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM; including polymyositis, dermatomyositis, anti-synthetase syndrome), Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), or mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) in accordance with internationally recognized classification criteria
• * Diagnosis of ILD on High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) with disease extent of greater than or equal to (≥) 10% of the whole lung (WLILD)
• * Evidence of ILD progression in the previous 24 months
• * Must be currently receiving stable standard therapy to manage ILD and/or underlying CTD, or to have failed or failed to tolerate first line standard therapy.
• * Participant is capable and willing to self-administer the study medication or has a caregiver who is capable and willing to administer the study medication throughout the study
• * A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant or breastfeeding, and one of the following conditions applies:
• * Is a woman of nonchildbearing potential (WONCBP) OR
• * Is a Woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP) and using a contraceptive method that is highly effective, with a failure rate of less than (\<)1%
• * Capable of giving signed informed consent
• * Diagnosis of ILD other than CTD-ILD.
• * Primary diagnosis of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc).
• * Participants with rapidly progressive disease (absolute drop of 10% or more of FVC between screening and baseline visit and/or recent pulmonary hospitalisation).
• * FVC ≤ 45% of predicted, or a Diffusing Capacity of the lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLco) (corrected for hemoglobin) ≤ 40% of predicted or requiring supplemental oxygen at screening
• * History or presence of diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) or other confounding pulmonary disease, signs, or symptoms
• * Pulmonary arterial hypertension requiring therapy, as determined by the investigator at, or prior to first day of dosing (Day 1)
• * Dependence on continuous oxygen supplementation
• * History or presence of cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, hematologic, or neurological disorders capable of significantly altering the absorption, metabolism, or elimination of drugs; constituting a risk when taking the study intervention or interfering with the interpretation of data
• * Obstructive pulmonary disease (pre-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) /FVC \<0.7).
• * Significant emphysema on screening HRCT (extent of emphysema exceeds extent of ILD)
• * Confirmed Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) or unexplained new-onset or deteriorating neurologic signs and symptoms
• * Have evidence of moderate to severe depression, defined as PHQ-9 score ≥10, or serious current suicide risk, or any history of suicidal behavior in the last 6 months and/or any suicidal ideation in the last 2 months, or who in the investigator's judgment, poses a significant suicide risk
• * Lymphoma, leukemia, or any malignancy within the past 5 years except for basal cell or squamous epithelial carcinomas of the skin that have been resected with no evidence of metastatic disease for 3 years
• * Breast cancer within the past 10 years
• * Major surgery (including joint surgery) within 3 months prior to screening or planned during the duration of the study
• * An active infection, or a history of infections