MECHANISM OF RITUXIMAB IN THE TREATMENT OF NEUROMYELITIS OPTICA

Rituximab (RTX) is increasingly used in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Due to the lack of data on its safety and efficacy, we set out to determine the performance of rituximab (RTX) versus cyclophosphamide (CPM) as maintenance therapy for NMO. In this randomized, prospective clinical trial, the primary objective was to determine the efficacy of RTX versus CPM, as assessed by the mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and overall efficacy rate. Secondary objectives included assessment of mean Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score, treatment safety profile, serum AQP4-Ab, IL-6, IL-27 and MMP-9 levels and recurrence rate after treatment. The results of our study showed that both RTX and CPM provided therapeutic benefits for the treatment of NMO. However, RTX was superior to CMP in terms of safety, efficacy and durability of remission. Further research is warranted to validate these results.

Automated summary

The study aimed to compare the efficacy of Rituximab (RTX) and cyclophosphamide (CPM) as maintenance therapy for neuromyelitis optica (NMO). The results showed that RTX was superior to CPM in terms of safety, efficacy, and durability of remission.