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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:36 pm Post subject: Hype? Rituximab
As we all know there are multitudes of drugs in trial.
Rituximab is being trialled with RR, SP and PP sufferers. Although other threads have discussed the possibility of MS being one disease with the immune system response / or not, differentiating between the various types.
The media coverage of Rituximab has been very upbeat as illustrated below:
"In patients who have been treated with rituximab and haven't responded to other treatments, Dr. Stuve says, "The response to the Rituxan was really dramatic, in terms of not only stopping disease progression but really helping the patients recover some of the neurological function that they had lost in previous month and years"."
I'm always wary of such hype but when a medic claims that the drug stops progression this is a big claim.
My questions:
Has anyone received Rituximab? Or know someone who has received it?
If it did prove good, what fast-tracking is permissible given that it is already in use for other conditions?
Joined: Apr 09, 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Slovenia, Europe
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:09 am Post subject:
Anybody noticed safety warnings on Rituxan homepage?
Quote:
Important Safety Information
WARNINGS
Fatal Infusion Reactions: Deaths within 24 hours of RITUXAN infusion have been reported. These fatal reactions followed an infusion reaction complex which included hypoxia, pulmonary infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation or cardiogenic shock. Approximately 80% of fatal infusion reactions occurred in association with the first infusion. (See WARNINGS and ADVERSE REACTIONS in full Prescribing Information.)
Patients who develop severe infusion reactions should have RITUXAN infusion discontinued and receive medical treatment.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS): Acute renal failure requiring dialysis with instances of fatal outcome has been reported in the setting of TLS following treatment with RITUXAN. (See WARNINGS in full Prescribing Information.)
Severe Mucocutaneous Reactions: Severe mucocutaneous reactions, some with fatal outcome, have been reported in association with RITUXAN treatment. (See WARNINGS and ADVERSE REACTIONS in full Prescribing Information.)
Given the good results reported from the use of Rituximab, I e-mailed one of the neuros I had seen (one of the top MS neuros in the UK) to find out if Rituximab was likely to be effective. His response:
"Rituximab is currently in two phase III studies (PP and RRMS) and is very promising – it will also tell us how important B cells are in the pathogenesis of MS".
Just his opinion of course, but I've become wary of the hype surrounding many treatments on trial. Fingers crossed that we might have another effective treatement in a few years and that the trials will provide more in-sights into ths complex disease.
Ian
PS And it wasn't only the good results reported in the press. I also posted two examples (from the BCP site) where Rituximab had helped in really grim MS cases.
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