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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...

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with the drug rituximab had a significantly lower risk of relapse compared with MS patients receiving standard treatment. Rituximab is not approved as an MS drug, but has proven to be effective in smaller studies and is therefore largely prescribed "off label." The Phase 3 trial is a study involving patients who were newly diagnosed with the most common form of MS, relapsing-remitting MS. Patients were randomly given either rituximab (Mabthera) or standard dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) treatment. During the 24-month follow-up, the occurrence of relapses, i.e., a temporary deterioration of the disease state, was...

A study published on Oct. 19, 2011, in PLoS ONE reports on results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the drug rituximab in CFS. The results of this study showing that two infusions of rituximab may provide durable relief from CFS are extremely encouraging. The most exciting news from the study is the possibility of disease-modifying treatment for at least some people with CFS. This study also provides support for other possible approaches to repair immune abnormalities that have been identified in CFS patients. The authors state that the results support the concept of CFS as an autoimmune disease. They...