Safety Profile Of Rituximab Research Articles

Safety and Tolerability of Rituximab in the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis.

Rituximab (RTX) has been used for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSс) for a long time and has shown good efficacy for skin fibrosis and interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, data on tolerability and long-term adverse events (AEs) during RTX therapy in SSc are insufficient. The objective of this study was to assess the tolerability and safety of RTX in patients with SSс in a long-term prospective follow-up. Our open-label prospective study included 151 SSс patients who received at least one RTX infusion. The mean age of the patients was 47.9 ± 13.4 years; the majority of them were women (83%). The mean disease duration was 6.4 ± 5.8 years. The mean follow-up period after the first RTX infusion was 5.6 ± 2.6 years (845.6 patient-years (PY)). All patients received RTX in addition to ongoing therapy with prednisone and/or immunosuppressants. AEs were assessed and recorded by a doctor in the hospital immediately after RTX infusion and then by patient's reported outcome during the observation period. All causes of death were considered, regardless of treatment. A total of 85 AEs (56%) were registered, the overall incidence of AEs was 10/100 PY (95% confidence interval (CI) 8-12). The highest frequency of all AEs was observed in the first 2-6 months after the first course of RTX, however, these were mainly mild and moderate AEs (71%). The most frequent AEs were infections, they were observed in 40% of cases, with no serious opportunistic infections reported. The overall incidence of all infections was 7.1/100 PY (95% CI 5.5-9), serious infections-1.5/100 PY (95%CI 0.9-2.6). Infusion reactions occurred in 8% of patients. Other AEs were noted in 3% (0.6/100 PY, 95% CI 0.3-1.4). The overall incidence of serious AEs was 18%-3.2/100 PY (95% CI 2.2-4.6). There was a significant decrease of the immunoglobulin G (Ig G) during follow-up; however, its average values remained within normal limits. There were 17 deaths (11%) (2/100 PY, 95% CI 1.3-3.2). In most cases, patients died from the progression of the major organ failure, which arose before RTX treatment. In our study, the safety profile of RTX in SSс was assessed as favorable. It was similar to the AE profile in other autoimmune diseases treated with RTX. With an increase in the cumulative dose of RTX, no increase in AEs was observed. The mortality is comparable to the other severe autoimmune diseases in observational studies. Monitoring of IgG may be useful for patients with SSс on RTX therapy for early detection of the risk of developing infectious complications. RTX could be considered as a relatively safe drug for the complex therapy of SSс when standard therapy is ineffective or impossible.

Safety and tolerability of rituximab in the treatment of systemic sclerosis

Introduction. Rituximab (RTX) has been used for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSс) for a long time and has shown good efficacy for skin fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. However, data on tolerability and long-term adverse events (AEs) during RTX therapy in SSc are insufficient.Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the tolerability and safety of RTX in patients with SSс in a long-term prospective follow-up.Materials and methods. Our open-label prospective study included 151 SSс patients who received at least one RTX infusion. The mean age of the patients was 47.9±13.4 years; the majority of them were women (83%). The mean disease duration was 6.4±5.8 years. The mean follow-up period after the first RTX infusion was 5.6±2.6 years (845.6 patient-years (PY)). All patients received RTX in addition to ongoing therapy with prednisone and/or immunosuppressants. AEs were assessed and recorded by a doctor in the hospital immediately after RTX infusion, then by patient reported outcome during the observation period. All causes of death were considered, regardless of treatment.Results. A total of 85 (56%) AEs were registered, the overall incidence of AEs was 10/100 PY (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 8–12). The highest frequency of all AEs was observed in the first 2–6 months after the first course of RTX, however, these were mainly mild and moderate AEs (71%). The most frequent AEs were infections, they were observed in 40% of cases, with no serious opportunistic infections reported. The overall incidence of all infections was 7.1/100 PY (95% CI: 5.5–9), serious infections – 1.5/100 PY (95% CI: 0.9–2.6). Infusion reactions occurred in 8% of patients. Other AEs were noted in 3% (0.6/100 PY; 95% CI: 0.3–1.4). The overall incidence of serious AEs was 18% (3.2/100 PY; 95% CI: 2.2–4.6). There was a significant decrease of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) during follow-up, however, its average values remained within normal limits. There were 17 (11%) deaths (2/100 PY; 95% CI: 1.3–3.2). In most cases, patients died from the progression of the major organ failure, which arose before RTX treatment.Conclusions. In our study, the safety profile of RTX in SSс was assessed as favorable. It was similar to the AE profile in other autoimmune diseases treated with RTX. With an increase in the cumulative dose of RTX, no increase in AEs was observed. The mortality is comparable to the other severe autoimmune diseases in observational studies. Monitoring of Ig G may be useful for patients with SSс on RTX therapy for early detection of the risk of developing infectious complications. RTX could be considered as a relatively safe drug for the complex therapy of SSс when standard therapy is ineffective or impossible.

Retrospective analysis of the long-term therapeutic effectiveness and safety profile of rituximab in the treatment of mucous membrane pemphigoid in a German university center between 2008 and 2019.

The B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (RTX) is often used as an adjuvant drug for the treatment of refractory cases of mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP). This study aims to determine the therapeutic effectiveness and the safety profile of RTX in MMP. The medical records of all cases of MMP treated with RTX between 2008 and 2019 in our university medical center located in northern Germany, which specialized in autoimmune blistering skin diseases, were retrieved and systemically analyzed for treatment responses and potential adverse events over a median period of 27 months. We identified 18 MMP patients who received at least one cycle of RTX to treat MMP. RTX was always used as an adjuvant treatment, and its application did not change concomitant treatments. Under treatment with RTX, 67% of the patients achieved an improvement in their disease activity within 6 months. This was also reflected in a statistically significant reduction in the Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid Disease Index (MMPDAI) activity score. The frequency of infections under RTX treatment increased only slightly. The use of RTX is associated with an attenuation of MMP in a large proportion of MMP patients in our study. At the same time, its application was not found to further increase the susceptibility of the most strongly immunocompromised population of MMP patients to opportunistic infections. Collectively, our results suggest that the potential benefits of RTX outweigh its risks in patients with refractory MMP.

Retrospective Observational Study of the Long-Term Safety and Efficacy Outcomes of Rituximab Biosimilar: Partial Data of RTXM83-AC-01-11 Subanalysis Study

Introduction Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody designed against the CD20 receptor displayed on the surface of B cells and used to treat nearly all B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). It was the first monoclonal antibody approved in oncology and it has improved outcomes in all B-cell malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In recent years, the approval of several rituximab biosimilar molecules worldwide has further improved the patients' access to this drug, promoting cost-effective treatment. Biosimilar molecules are defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a biological molecule product highly similar to the approved reference product with no clinically meaningful differences. The multicentric double-blind international prospective pivotal study RTXM83-AC-01-11 led to the approval of rituximab biosimilar RTXM83. The study evaluated the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamics (PD), safety, and immunogenicity profile of RTXM83 (rituximab biosimilar) vs reference rituximab (Mabthera®), both with CHOP, as first-line treatment of Diffuse-Large-B-Cell-Lymphoma (DLBCL). Participants from both arms received 6 cycles of R-CHOP followed by a 9-month follow-up (Candelaria et al., 2019). Data regarding long-term efficacy and safety events are of great relevance to demonstrate the strength of the clinical response and deepen the confidence in the use of biosimilar molecules. Here, we present a partial data analysis regarding the long-term safety of 11 patients included in this retrospective observational study. Aim This national retrospective observational study aimed to collect long-term data regarding safety e efficacy outcomes from Brazilian participants of the pivotal study RTXM83-AC-01-11 which led to the approval of biosimilar rituximab (Vivaxxia®) in Brazil. Methods All 28 Brazilian participants that were randomized and completed the phase III study RTXM83-AC-01-11 were eligible for this observational, retrospective LB2002 study (Clinical trial information: NCT04928573). Participants were invited to sign the consent form and share the disease history collected since their randomization on the RTXM83-AC-01-11 study. This partial analysis shows the participants' demographic and baseline characteristics, baseline disease characteristics, and the long-term safety data collected and monitored until July 1st, 2022. The long-term safety endpoint was the frequency of serious adverse events of interest, and we considered in this analysis the time between the end of the RTXM83-AC-01-11 study and the consent date of the LB2002 study. Results The intention to treat (ITT) and Safety populations comprised the partial analysis of the same 11 participants, 7 of them (63.6%) treated with biosimilar RTXM83 plus CHOP and 4 (36.4%) with Mabthera® plus CHOP. The median study follow-up time was 73.3 months, considered in this analysis as the time between the randomization of RTXM83-AC-01-11 study participants and the consent date of the LB2002 study. Overall, participants' median age was 55 years old, 63.6% were white, 54.5% were female, 18.8% were active smokers and the body mass index (BMI) ranged from 20 to 35.7 Kg/m² (Table 1). Regarding disease characteristics, 9,1% of the overall participants were classified as stage I DLBCL, 45.5% stage II and IV at the time of diagnosis. Of all 11 participants, 72.7% displayed extranodal lesions, and 18.2% had bulky lesions with a median body surface area (BSA) of 1.8 m2 (Table 1). As for prognostic factor and performance status, participants were classified with IPI 1 (45.5%) and 2 (54.5%), ECOG 1 (72.7%) and 2 (18.3%). The long-term safety analysis from the 11 participants revealed that 2 participants (18.2%) suffered from serious adverse events (SAE) among those of interest listed in Table 2. One participant of the RTXM83-CHOP arm had a SAE classified as severe infection related to rituximab (hypogammaglobulinemia). From the R-CHOP/MabThera® 1 participant displayed 1 SAE (secondary neoplasm) with a possible relationship to rituximab. Conclusion The partial analysis of the LB2002 has demonstrated thus far the safety profile of the biosimilar RTXM83 (Vivaxxia®) in the Brazilian population is consistent with the known safety profile of rituximab. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

A BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF RITUXIMAB IN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

A BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF RITUXIMAB IN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

Evaluation of Serious Infection in Pediatric Patients with Low Immunoglobulin Levels Receiving Rituximab for Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis or Microscopic Polyangiitis.

IntroductionThe aim of this work was to assess the impact of prolonged low immunoglobulin (IgG or IgM) serum concentrations on the potential cumulative serious infection (SI) risk in pediatric patients following rituximab treatment for granulomatosis with polyangiitis or microscopic polyangiitis (GPA/MPA) in PePRS.MethodsPatients aged ≥ 2 to < 18 years received four weekly intravenous rituximab infusions of 375 mg/m2 and concomitant glucocorticoid taper. After 6 months, patients could receive further rituximab and/or other immunosuppressants per investigator discretion. Immunoglobulin levels and SIs were assessed throughout the 4.5-year observation period. Prolonged low IgG or IgM was defined as below the lower limit of normal age-specific reference range for ≥ 4 months.ResultsA total of 25 patients were included, of whom 19 (76%) had GPA and six (24%) had MPA; 18 (72%) had newly diagnosed disease and seven (28%) had relapsing disease. All 25 patients completed the rituximab induction regimen; 24 completed ≥ 18 months of follow-up. At month 18, eighteen patients (72%) had prolonged low IgG; 19 (76%), prolonged low IgM; and 15 (60%), both. Seven patients (28%) had nine SIs; one occurred during or after prolonged low IgG only, two during or after prolonged low IgM only, and six during or after concurrent prolonged low IgG and IgM. No patients died or discontinued the study due to SI. All patients had complete and sustained peripheral B-cell depletion for ≥ 6 months.ConclusionsThe majority of pediatric patients who received rituximab for GPA/MPA with prolonged low immunoglobulin levels did not experience SIs. In patients with SIs, these events were manageable, and the number of SIs did not increase over time or with multiple rituximab treatments. These observations are consistent with the rituximab safety profile in adults with GPA/MPA.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01750697.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40744-022-00433-0.

Rituximab in combination with adapted-dose of ifosfamide and etoposide as salvage treatment in elderly refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients non-candidate for high dose therapy: a retrospective study

We retrospectively reviewed for 72 relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients ineligible for autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) treated between 2004 and 2017, efficacy and safety profile of rituximab (375 mg/m2) in combination with etoposide (300 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (1500 mg/m2) at 2, 3, or 4-week intervals. Median age was 79 years (range, 64–92). The median number of previous line was 1 (range 1–8). Patients received a median of six cycles (1–12). Fourteen patients (19%) presented partial and 14 complete responses (19%). Among the 369 cycles, nine patients developed febrile neutropenia (13%), 14 a grade 3–4 neutropenia (19%), 7 a grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia (10%) without grade 3–4 non-hematological toxicity. With a median follow up of 7.8 months, the median progression-free survival, overall survival, and duration of response were 4.4 months, 9.4 months, and 12 months, respectively. This regimen represents a therapeutic option in R/R DLBCL patients ineligible to ASCT.

Anti-CD20 therapies for multiple sclerosis: current status and future perspectives.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), often characterized by the accumulation of irreversible clinical disability over time. During last years, there has been a dramatic evolution in several key concepts of immune pathophysiology of MS and in the treatment of this disease. The demonstration of the strong efficacy and good safety profile of selective B-cell-depleting therapies (such as anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies) has significantly expanded the therapeutic scenario for both relapsing and progressive MS patients with the identification of a new therapeutic target. The key role of B cells in triggering MS disease has been also pointed out, determining a shift from the traditional view of MS activity as largely being ‘T-cell mediated’ to the notion that MS-related pathological processes involve bi-directional interactions between several immune cell types, including B cells, both in the periphery and in the CNS. This review provides an updated overview of the involvement of B cells in the immune pathophysiology and pathology of MS. We summarize the rationale regarding the use of anti-CD20 therapies and the results of the main randomized controlled trials and observational studies investigating the efficacy and safety profile of rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab and ublituximab. Suggestions regarding vaccinations and management of MS patients during COVID-19 pandemic with anti-CD20 therapies are also discussed. Finally, therapies under investigation and future perspectives of anti-CD20 therapies are taken into consideration.

Real word evidence on rituximab utilization: Combining administrative and hospital-pharmacy data.

To describe patterns of utilization, survival and infectious events in patients treated with rituximab at the University Hospital of Siena (UHS) to explore the feasibility of combining routinely collected administrative and hospital-pharmacy data for examining the real-world use of intravenous antineoplastic drugs. A retrospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted using data from the Hospital Pharmacy of Siena (HPS) and the Regional Administrative Database of Tuscany (RAD). Patients aged ≥18 years with ≥1 rituximab administration recorded between January 2012 and June 2016 were identified in the HPS database. Anonymized patient-level data were linked to RAD. Rituximab utilization during the first year of treatment was described using HPS. Hospital diagnoses of adverse infectious events that occurred during the first year of follow-up and four-year survival were observed using RAD. A total of 311 new users of rituximab were identified: 264 patients received rituximab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 47 were treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Among new users with one complete year of follow-up (n = 203) over 95% received rituximab as the first-line treatment, and approximately 70% of them received 5-8 doses. No patient in the CLL group received >8 administrations. Four-year survival was approximately 70% in both CLL and NHL patients. Sepsis was the most frequent infectious event observed (5.1%). HPS and RAD provided complementary information on rituximab utilization, demonstrating their potential for future pharmacoepidemiological studies on antineoplastic medications administered in the Italian hospital setting. Overall, this general description of the real-world utilization of rituximab in patients treated for NHL and CLL at UHS was in line with treatment guidelines and current knowledge on the rituximab safety profile.

Effectiveness of rituximab in reducing relapse among Filipino neuromyelitis optica patients

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease with a relapsing progressive course, which result to disability. Recent evidence points to repeated treatment with Rituximab as effective in reducing relapse rates. Currently, there is no local data regarding the effectiveness of Rituximab in adult Filipino patients. A retrospective cohort study of Filipino patients diagnosed with NMOSD and treated with at least 1 Rituximab infusion and a minimum of 6 months follow-up from August 2013 until September 2018 in a private tertiary hospital was done through records review. Patients who were lost to follow-up for 2 years were excluded. The primary outcome was the effectiveness of rituximab, defined based on the comparison of Annualized Relapse Rate (ARR) before and after Rituximab infusion. Seroconversion of anti-aquaporin 4 antibody and the safety profile of Rituximab were secondary outcomes. Among 23 qualified patients, 21 (91.3%) were female. The mean age of the participants was 46.1 years old.The number of patients relapse-free during rituximab treatment was 69.5%. The mean annualized relapse rate (ARR) pre- Rituximab was 16.9 compared to 2.4 in an international study while the mean ARR post-Rituximab was 1.6 compared to 0.1 (p-value of 0.001).There was 1 patient who was initially seropositive then later converted to seronegative at the last follow-up. No adverse effects were reported. Rituximab was effective in reducing relapse rates among Filipino NMOSD patients with no reported adverse effects.

B cell therapy in ANCA-associated vasculitis: current and emerging treatment options.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is an organ-threatening and life-threatening multi-system autoimmune disease in which B cell-derived ANCAs cause neutrophil activation and endothelial damage, strongly implicating these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of AAV. B cell depletion with rituximab combined with glucocorticoids is associated with a reduction in ANCA concentrations and with clinical remission in the majority of patients with AAV. However, the safety profile of rituximab is no better than that of conventional therapy with cyclophosphamide, and long-term glucocorticoid treatment is needed to achieve and maintain disease-free remission. A need for new therapies exists to reduce the time to remission, to spare the use of glucocorticoids and to promote long-lasting remission without the risk of relapse. Over the past 20 years, there has been great interest in therapeutically targeting B cell cytokines, such as B cell-activating factor (BAFF), in many autoimmune disease settings. Dual B cell-targeted immunotherapy that combines B cell depletion and BAFF blockade could potentially be more efficacious than targeting either mechanism alone. In this Review, the theoretical background for use of this combination approach in AAV is presented and discussed.

Rituximab maintenance therapy of follicular lymphoma in clinical practice.

Standard of care for patients with symptomatic, advanced‐stage follicular lymphoma (FL) is rituximab‐containing chemoimmunotherapy followed by rituximab maintenance. This prospective, multicenter, noninterventional study analyzed how efficacy and safety data from randomized controlled trials translate into clinical practice in Germany. Both treatment‐naïve and relapsed/refractory patients with FL, who responded to rituximab‐containing induction and were scheduled for rituximab maintenance, were observed for 24 months. Effectiveness was measured by response and Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis. In addition, treatment patterns of induction and maintenance, as well as adverse events, were documented. The evaluable study population consisted of 310 first‐line patients and 173 relapsed/refractory patients, including 116 patients with initial Ann‐Arbor stage I/II and 20 patients with FL grade 3B. Regarding first‐line induction, a shift from R‐CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) to R‐bendamustine was observed over time, as well as a decline in radiotherapy. 2‐year progression‐free survival rates were 88.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 84.0‐92.6) for first‐line patients and 76.0% (95% CI: 68.8‐83.3) for relapsed/refractory patients. Conversion from partial to complete remission (PR, CR) occurred in 53.4% of analyzed first‐line patients with PR, resulting in 69.4% CRs at study end (relapsed/refractory: conversion in 42.9%, final CRs 57.9%). Safety results were consistent with the known safety profile of rituximab in this setting. Both treatment‐naïve and relapsed/refractory patients with FL show favorable 2‐year PFS rates and improvements in the remission status with postinduction rituximab monotherapy as maintenance and consolidation therapy.

Treatment of Severe Renal Disease in ANCA Positive and Negative Small Vessel Vasculitis with Rituximab

Background/Aims: Rituximab and glucocorticoids are a non-inferior alternative to cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoid therapy for induction of remission in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with moderate renal disease. The efficacy and safety of this approach in patients with severe renal impairment are unknown. We report the outcomes and safety profile of rituximab and glucocorticoid therapy for induction of remission in patients with AAV and ANCA-negative vasculitis presenting with severe renal disease. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was conducted between 2005 and 2014. Patients with new or relapsing disease with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of ≤20 ml/min/1.73 m² treated with rituximab and glucocorticoid induction with or without plasmapheresis were included. Fourteen patients met the inclusion criteria. The primary outcomes were rate of remission and dialysis independence at 6 months. The secondary outcomes were eGFR at 6 months, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), survival rates and adverse events. Results: All patients were Caucasian, and 57% were male. The mean eGFR was 12 ml/min/1.73 m² at diagnosis. All patients achieved remission with a median time to remission of 55 days. Seven patients required dialysis at presentation of which 5 patients recovered renal function and discontinued dialysis by 6-month follow-up. The mean eGFR for the 11 patients without ESRD who completed 6-month follow-up was 33 ml/min/1.73 m². Four patients ultimately developed ESRD, and one died during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Patients with AAV and severe renal disease achieve high rates of remission and dialysis independence when treated with rituximab and glucocorticoids without cyclophosphamide.

FRI0386 Efficacy and Safety of Off-Label Use of Rituximab in Refractory Lupus: Data from the Italian Multicenter Registry

BackgroundDespite the failure of two randomized controlled trials a number of open-label studies and registries suggested the efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).ObjectivesThe aim of this observational...

Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab in Children with Refractory Nephrotic Syndrome; A Multicenter Clinical Trial

Objectives Rituximab (RTX), anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been proposed as a rescue therapy for refractory nephrotic syndrome (NS) on the basis of favorable clinical observations. While reported efficacy of RTX on refractory RTX is promising, the long-term effect obtained from randomized clinical trial is limited, let alone the long-term safety profile of RTX in these patients. To obtain solid evidence of efficacy and safety of this medication, we conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RTX in children with refractory NS. Here we report the interim result. Methods A multicenter open-label trial was performed in Korean pediatric patients, a single-arm study for steroid and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) resistant (resistant NS, RNS), and a randomized controlled trial for steroid and CNI-dependent NS (dependent NS, DNS) patients. Eight major centers of Korea participated in this trial. Patients received a single dose of intravenous RTX (375 mg/m 2 ) and efficacy was monitored by clinical response and CD19 cell count. Primary end point was rate of remission achievement for RNS and maintenance of remission for DNS at 6 months after treatment. Steroid and CNI were slowly tapered as scheduled if remission was achieved. Results Nineteen patients (mean age 9.2±4.7 years) with RNS were enrolled and seven patients achieved complete remission after RTX treatment (remission rate 36.8%). Fifty-three children (mean age 13.0±4.9 years) with DNS were included and randomized to standard treatment or RTX (2:1). At six months after treatment, the remission rates were 77.1% in RTX arm (n=35) and 38.9% in standard therapy arm (n=18). The mean durations of remission maintenance were 5.2 months under slow-tapering standard therapy arm and undetermined in RTX arm. Twenty four patients (44.4% of 54 patients) experienced mild and transient infusion reaction during RTX administration. However, no serious side effect was observed. Conclusions In this interim analysis of clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RTX in children with refractory NS, RTX treatment for refractory NS was safe and effective, especially in patients with DNS.

FRI0214 Rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis – interim analysis of the non-interventional bridging study

BackgroundThe BRIDGING study collects clinical routine data on the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) in patients suffering from severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsBRIDGING is an ongoing German prospective, non-interventional...

AB0302 Results from the rate-ra study: a multicenter, open-label, single-arm study to evaluate the safety of administering rituximab at a more rapid infusion rate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BackgroundThe labelled dose of rituximab (RTX) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is 2 × 1000 mg IV infusions given 2 weeks apart (1 course), with recommended times of 4.25 hours (h)...

Evaluation of low-dose rituximab for the retreatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe licensed dose of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is two doses of 1000 mg given 2 weeks apart. A lower dose has never been specifically studied in patients with...

Safety of Rituximab in Combination with Other Biologic Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Open-label Study

To characterize the safety of rituximab (RTX) in combination with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We did an open-label study of the safety and efficacy of RTX in adult patients with active RA and an inadequate response to ≥ 1 biologic for ≥ 12 weeks (stable dose ≥ 4 weeks). RTX (2 × 500 mg) was added to patients' current biologic and nonbiologic DMARD treatment. After 24 weeks, patients with 28-joint Disease Activity Score ≥ 2.6 were eligible for RTX retreatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients developing a serious adverse event (SAE) within 24 weeks of initiating RTX. Patients (n = 176) received RTX with 18 different biologic/DMARD combinations. Adalimumab alone (n = 46; 26.1%) or etanercept alone (n = 37; 21.0%) plus RTX were the most common combinations. Overall, 90.9% and 76.1% of patients completed 24 and 48 weeks, respectively; 147 patients (83.5%) received a second course of RTX. Over 24 weeks, 9.1% of patients reported SAE (24.3 events/100 patient-yrs, 95% CI 15.5-38.1). The SAE rate was similar over 48 weeks (22.4 events/100 patient-yrs, 95% CI 15.9-31.5). Four serious infections were reported over 48 weeks (2.7 events/100 patient-yrs, 95% CI 1.0-7.2). No SAE occurred within 24 h of any RTX infusion. Efficacy responses improved numerically at Week 48 compared with Week 24. The overall safety profile of RTX in combination with 1 other biologic was consistent with that previously reported for RTX plus methotrexate or other nonbiologic DMARD. (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00443651).

A pilot open‐label phase II trial of rituximab for non‐criteria manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of rituximab in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-positive patients with non-criteria manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effect of rituximab on the aPL profile and to evaluate the efficacy of rituximab treatment for non-criteria manifestations of APS. In this 12-month, phase II pilot study, adult aPL-positive patients with thrombocytopenia, cardiac valve disease, skin ulcer, aPL nephropathy, and/or cognitive dysfunction received 2 doses of rituximab (1,000 mg) on days 1 and 15. Antiphospholipid antibody profiles and clinical outcome measures, which were categorized as complete response, partial response, no response, or recurrence, were analyzed at preset time points. Two of 19 patients experienced infusion reactions, resulting in early termination. Twelve serious adverse events and 49 nonserious adverse events were recorded. All patients who had positive results of lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and anti-β(2)-glycoprotein I antibody tests at baseline had positive results at 24 weeks and 52 weeks. The numbers of patients with a complete response, a partial response, no response, and recurrence for the clinical outcome measures at 24 weeks were as follows: for thrombocytopenia, 1, 1, 2, and 0, respectively; for cardiac valve disease, 0, 0, 3, and not analyzed, respectively; for skin ulcer, 3, 1, 0, and 1, respectively; for aPL nephropathy, 0, 1, 0, and 0, respectively; and for cognitive dysfunction, 3, 1, 1, and not analyzed, respectively. The results of this uncontrolled and nonrandomized pilot study suggest that the safety of rituximab in aPL-positive patients is consistent with the safety profile of rituximab. Despite causing no substantial change in aPL profiles, rituximab may be effective in controlling some but not all non-criteria manifestations of APS.