Rituxan Eases Rheumatoid Arthritis

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June 10, 2005

Rituxan Eases Rheumatoid Arthritis

# A study says the use of the Genentech drug and methotrexate offers

relief from symptoms.

From Reuters

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who took Genentech Inc.'s drug

Rituxan saw their symptoms abate in a large clinical trial, reaffirming

positive results seen in earlier trials.

Genentech and its partner, Biogen Idec Inc., already sell Rituxan as a

treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system. But

they are testing it against rheumatoid arthritis, the crippling

less-common form of arthritis in which the body's own immune system

attacks joints.

The companies Thursday presented data from a mid-stage trial of 465

patients with rheumatoid arthritis who previously failed to adequately

benefit from the widely used drug methotrexate. They had all also

failed to adequately respond to drugs meant to slow the progression of

damage from arthritis.

All patients received a stable dose of methotrexate. Some received

varying doses of Rituxan, with or without corticosteroids — potent

synthetic hormones that calm down inflammation but can cause serious

side effects.

A greater proportion of patients treated with Rituxan and methotrexate

saw relief after six months than those who took placebos and

methotrexate. And the improvement in the Rituxan group was seen

regardless of whether patients were given corticosteroids.

" That was an important finding because doctors would prefer, if

possible, not to give corticosteroids to their patients, " Sunil

Agarwal, Genentech's medical director, said in an interview.

In earlier Rituxan arthritis trials, patients were given very high

doses of corticosteroids.

Researchers said arthritis patients taking Rituxan in the future would

be given far lower doses of corticosteroids, which help decrease the

severity of allergic skin reactions to Rituxan infusions.

Although corticosteroids help control inflammation, they can weaken the

immune system and thereby increase the risk of infection. They also can

increase the risk of cataracts and other eye problems and lead to high

blood pressure.