Posted on 06/16/2023 5:26:40 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
For patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), rituximab is not noninferior to ocrelizumab, according to a study.
Izanne Roos, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D. and colleagues examined whether the effectiveness of rituximab is noninferior to ocrelizumab in relapsing-remitting MS in an observational cohort study. Participants had a history of relapsing-remitting MS treated with ocrelizumab or rituximab, a minimum follow-up of six months, and sufficient data to calculate the propensity score. The analysis included 710 patients treated with ocrelizumab and 186 treated with rituximab.
The researchers found that the annualized rate of relapses ratio was higher in patients treated with rituximab versus ocrelizumab (rate ratio, 1.8) over a pairwise censored mean follow-up of 1.4 years. Compared with patients treated with ocrelizumab, those treated with rituximab had a higher cumulative hazard of relapses (hazard ratio, 2.1). There was no difference between the groups in the risk for disability accumulation. In sensitivity analyses, results were confirmed.
"Treatment selection for the individual patient, however, remains a complex and highly personalized decision, which considers additional factors such as availability and affordability of therapy and adverse effects," the authors write. "Nevertheless, lack of a clinically relevant difference in the effectiveness between these two therapies should not be assumed."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Ocrelizumab appears to be a better choice, though.
Crap, I wish medical science would work faster - I know too many people stricken with this hellish disease.
I’ve taken both for my primary progressive MS. Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) was around 3 times the cost of Rituximab (Rituxin), at $30,000 per twice-a-year infusion vs $10,000. And that Rituxin price is for a 1000mg dose, while Ocrevus is only approved for 600mg. Insurance does cover both, thank God. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed about the same slow rate of progression with each.
Rituximab gets billed to my insurance company at $14,000 per treatment. FYI, I don't have MS. It treats my cold agglutinin disease.
“not noninferior”
Did the writer of that ever have a class in English comp?
While there is a word “non-inferior”, it is a poor word choice. And “not noninferior” makes it much worse.
Briumvi is the best of these drugs. Just got approved in Dec 2022. No cancer risk like Ocrelizumab and cheaper and shorter infusion time.
Oxycroxymulinabitamunam. Stupid medicine names. Blahblabbjahmitulinab.
Stop posting to me.
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