rituximab

Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) and Soliris (eculizumab), two approved treatments for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), may work better than rituximab — a drug not cleared for treating the autoimmune disease but often used off-label — for preventing NMOSD relapses, according to a new review. Still, the study findings…

Even if they don’t have disease relapses, people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) tend to experience abnormal atrophy, or shrinkage, of the spinal cord over time, a new study shows. According to the researchers, “spinal cord involvement … accounts for significant disability in up to 80% of patients…

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…

Nearly all adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) experience headaches, especially migraines, a single-center study in Iran suggests. The presence of abnormalities in brain MRI scans and the use of the immunosuppressive therapy rituximab were each linked to an increased chance of new or worsening headaches after a…

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…

Starting treatment with off-label rituximab soon after neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) symptoms begin may prevent long-term disability worsening, a South Korean study suggests. This approach was particularly true for patients who were younger than 50, female, and for those with a severe level of disability before starting rituximab,…