RESEARCH - Rituximab safe and effective for SLE

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Rituximab Safe and Effective for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Medscape

By Will Boggs, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 28 - In contrast to other trials, a

French study shows the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab to be

well tolerated and clinically effective in patients with systemic

lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Several open-label studies have suggested a potential benefit of

rituximab in SLE, the investigators say, but two recent randomized

controlled trials failed to meet their primary endpoints.

For the current report, which was published online May 5th in

Arthritis & Rheumatism, Dr. Xavier Mariette from Hopital Bicetre and

colleagues evaluated the safety and efficacy of rituximab in 136

patients with SLE, using data from the community-based French

AutoImmunity and Rituximab registry.

The mean baseline SLE Disease Activity Index was 11.3, including 42

patients (31%) with mild disease (2-5), 36 (26%) with moderate

activity (6-10), 38 (28%) with high activity (11-19), and 20 (15%)

with very high activity (20 or higher).

Two patients had severe acute infusion reactions, 5 had serum

sickness-like reactions, and 12 patients developed severe infections

(a rate of 6.6 per 100 patient-years). Most severe infections (10/12,

83%) occurred within the first 3 months after the last rituximab

infusion, and most occurred after the first course of rituximab (9,

75%).

Five patients died as a result of severe infection, and rituximab was

discontinued in 12 patients because of adverse events.

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Read the entire article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/722689

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