Study Evaluates Rituximab for Progressive and Relapse-Remitting MS

Last month, a retrospective observational study was published in

PLOS One

that investigated the safety and efficacy of rituximab in patients with progressive MS (PMS) and relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in a single tertiary care center in Switzerland.

The study was based on clinical and radiological data that were collected within the MS registry of the Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland. The registry was founded in 2007 and later revised in February 2018. Patients were included within the study if they met the following criteria: a diagnosis of MS, at least 1 prior infusion of rituximab, and available clinical and radiological follow-up data.

In total, 82 MS patients were included within the analysis, with 43 (52.4%) RRMS patients and 39 (47.6%) PMS patients, respectively. All patients were given an initial rituximab induction dosage on day 1 and a second infusion on day 15 (1000 mg for each dose in 74 patients and 500 mg in 7 patients, respectively). Following this infusion, patients were put on a maintenance regimen and were given a third infusion at 9 months after the initial dose and every 6 months thereafter.

Click to continue reading on The American Journal of Managed Care.