Rituxan in your future? - you need HepB screen

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It is important that CLL patients taking ANY treatment that includes

Rituxan (and possibly Arzerra) be screened for the Hepatitis B virus

prior to treatment.

Section 5.5 of the drug label states:

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Reactivation

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation with fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure,

and death can occur in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with

Rituxan. The median time to the diagnosis of hepatitis was approximately 4

months after the initiation of Rituxan and approximately one month after the

last dose. Screen patients at high risk of HBV infection before initiation of

Rituxan. Closely monitor carriers of hepatitis B for clinical and laboratory

signs of active HBV infection for several months following Rituxan therapy.

Discontinue Rituxan and any concomitant chemotherapy in patients who develop

viral hepatitis, and institute appropriate treatment including antiviral

therapy. Insufficient data exist regarding the safety of resuming Rituxan in

patients who develop hepatitis subsequent to HBV reactivation.

Source FDA:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/103705s5311lbl.pdf