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Low-Dose Rituximab Can Help Control RA Symptoms, Study Finds
A Spanish study has found that low dose of rituximab, administered on-demand rather than at predetermined intervals, provides a good long-term treatment option for some patients.
Low and very low doses of rituximab are effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to recent studies. A new study on the real-world use of rituximab in a single center in Spain suggested that a low dose of rituximab, administered on-demand rather than at predetermined intervals, provides a good long-term treatment option for some patients, reported The Center for Biosimilars®.
The retrospective cohort study included adult patients with RA who were treated with rituximab from 2005 to 2014, with a follow-up period through 2015. In total, 114 patients with 409 cycles of treatment were considered.
Rituximab, primarily used as a second-line biologic therapy, was used in a cost-saving and adverse-event reducing on-demand schedule in 94.6% of patients; these patients were assessed for signs of relapse and the need for another rituximab infusion at their regularly scheduled visits, and they also had the option of contacting a healthcare provider by phone if they felt that they were relapsing. The remaining 5.4% of patients were on a fixed 6-month dosing schedule.
Read the full article on The Center for Biosimilars®.
Reference
Cañamares-Orbis I, Merino L, López J, et al. Experience with the use of rituximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in a tertiary hospital in Spain: RITAR study. [Published online July 19, 2018.] J Clin Rheumatol. doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000000845.
CMS' 340B Repayment Proposal May Harm Vulnerable Hospitals, Reward Those With Higher Revenues
April 26th 2024The 340B hospitals not receiving an offsetting lump-sum payment from CMS following 2018-2022 cuts later ruled unlawful are disproportionately rural, publicly owned, and nonacademic, according to a new study.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
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Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
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