Rituximab is an effective treatment in patients with pemphigus vulgaris and demonstrates a steroid-sparing effect.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Corticosteroids (CS) with or without adjuvant immunosuppressant agents are standard treatment for pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The efficacy of adjuvant therapies in minimizing steroid-related adverse events (AEs) is unproven.

Objectives

To utilize data collected in a French investigator-initiated, phase III, open-label, randomized controlled trial to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of rituximab and seek approval for its use in PV.

Methods

This was an independently conducted post hoc analysis of the moderate-to-severe PV subset enrolled in the Ritux 3 study. Patients were randomized to rituximab plus 0·5 or 1·0 mg kg^-1 per day prednisone tapered over 3 or 6 months, or 1·0 or 1·5 mg kg^-1 per day prednisone alone tapered over 12 or 18 mon

SUBMITTER: Chen DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7317434 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature