Rituxan (rituximab) is a monoclonal antibody, which works by targeting the CD20 protein antigen displayed on the surface of B-cells. It is used in the treatment of a variety of conditions including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GAP) and moderate to severe pemphigus.
In patients with hematological or blood cancers, including NHL and CLL, Rituxan’s success is measured in a number of ways. It is measured by looking at how long patients responded to treatment (median duration of response), how long they live without their disease progressing (progression-free survival) and how many patients respond to treatment (response rate).
How effective is Rituxan in people with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Rituxan treatment improves outcomes in certain patients with NHL. Adding Rituxan alongside standard therapies enhances the response patients have to treatment and improves overall outcomes, including increasing the time patients live for without experiencing a progression of their disease.
| NHL patient group | Measure of success |
|
Relapsed or refractory, low grade or follicular, CD20-positive B-cell NHL as a single agent
(Results from three single-arm studies in 296 patients) |
Median duration of response
|
|
Previously untreated follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell NHL in combination with first line chemotherapy and, in patients achieving a complete or partial response to a rituximab product in combination with chemotherapy, as single-agent maintenance therapy + Non-progressing (including stable disease), low-grade, CD20 positive, B-cell NHL as a single agent after first-line cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP) chemotherapy (Results from three randomized controlled trials in 1662 patients) |
Median progression-free survival
|
|
Previously untreated diffuse large B-cell, CD20-positive NHL in combination with (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) (CHOP) or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens (Results from three randomized, active-controlled, open-label, multicenter trials in 1854 patients) |
Progression-free survival
|
How effective is Rituxan in people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Rituxan helps to improve overall survival in certain patients with CLL and also helps to increase the time patients live for without experiencing disease progression. Adding Rituxan alongside standard therapy enhances the response patients have to therapy.
| Chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient group | Measure of success |
|
Previously untreated CD20-positive CLL in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC)
(Results from one randomized multicenter open-label study in 817 patients) |
Median progression-free survival
|
|
Previously treated CD20-positive CLL in combination FC
(Results from one randomized multicenter open-label study in 552 patients) |
Median progression-free survival
|