Second Course of Rituximab An Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who fail to respond to an initial course of treatment with rituximab can be successfully treated with a second course of the drug after 6 months. According to study results presented at EULAR, the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, 72% of rheumatoid arthritis patients responded well to a second course of rituximab -- some even achieved remission for a year or more.

Using a technique referred to as highly sensitive flow cytometry, researchers were able to measure the number of B cells that remain in the system of someone treated with rituximab. The drug works by depleting B cells in the body. The technique showed that almost all patients who failed to respond to the first course of rituximab had incomplete B cell depletion. They also had higher numbers of certain types of B cells before treatment. About a third of patients fail to respond with the first course of rituximab.

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• FDA Warns Rituxan Patients About PML
• Are Some Patients Unsuitable Candidates for Biologic Drugs?

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