rituximab

For adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), rituximab and Uplizna (inebilizumab) work equally well to prevent disease relapses, but Uplizna appears to be safer because it causes fewer infusion-related side effects. Those are the main findings of a real-world study analyzing data from more than 250 NMOSD…

Therapies specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are superior to rituximab and other off-label medications at preventing relapses and serious side effects, according to a real-world study in the U.S. The study also showed that among FDA-approved therapies, the…

Rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may be the most effective off-label options for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients who are unable to access approved therapies, often due to high costs or limited availability, according to a study in China. The study compared the safety and efficacy of four immunosuppressive…

Regular maintenance treatment with low-dose rituximab is associated with less disability and fewer relapses among people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) compared with receiving irregular doses of the preventive therapy, according to a two-year real-world study in China. “Regular [rituximab] treatment can significantly reduce the annual relapse rate, incidence…

Maintenance treatment with rituximab significantly reduced the number of relapses per year in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and it remained effective after patients experienced relapses, according to a study from China. Relapses more frequently occurred within the first year after rituximab initiation, and their frequency decreased…

Treatment with rituximab significantly reduces the risk of relapse and lessens disability in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients with antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4), according to a long-term, retrospective Australian study. Most of the analyzed patients received an initial infusion of rituximab at 1,000 mg, given as two separate…

Testing positive for self-reactive antibodies causing both neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) — two related autoimmune disorders — is extremely rare, but it appears to manifest more as NMOSD, a study in India suggests. So-called double positivity was found in three of…

In a racially diverse group of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), rituximab worked better to prevent relapses than did oral immunosuppressive therapies, a single-center U.S. study showed. This result was particularly relevant for Black patients — who are usually underrepresented in NMOSD clinical trials but who, the…

A rare case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in a patient positive for antibodies against both aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein and the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) was successfully treated with ofatumumab, a B-cell depleting medication approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), a case study reported. According to its researchers, this case represents…

Rituximab may be effective for improving functionality in children with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) or other inflammatory neurological disorders, though more research is needed to identify optimal treatment regimens, a new study reports. “Efficacy of [rituximab] in specific indications and good tolerance are confirmed in pediatric neurology.