My ITP patients have had good responses to rituximab when used as a second- or third- line therapy. Are there data to support using rituximab as a first line treatment of ITP?
Response rates to rituximab in refractory ITP range between 30-60% with sustained responses in the 20-30% range. There are little data which support using rituximab as a first-line treatment for ITP. However, an abstract presented at the plenary session at 2008 ASH investigated combining rituximab with dexamethasone as first-line therapy in patients with newly diagnosed ITP. Response rates were higher in patients treated with the combination of rituximab and dexamethasone compared to those treated with dexamethasone alone. This study has not been fully published and at this time there are insufficient data to recommend routine use of rituximab in the first-line therapy of ITP. It should be noted that rituximab has not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of ITP and although effective in certain settings, its use is off-label. References: Godeau B, Porcher R, Fain O, et al. Rituximab efficacy and safety in adult splenectomy candidates with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura:
Related Questions
- My ITP patients have had good responses to rituximab when used as a second- or third- line therapy. Are there data to support using rituximab as a first line treatment of ITP?
- Is TMS Therapy a good alternative for patients who cannot tolerate the side effects associated with antidepressant medications?
- Should concomitant and adjuvant treatment with temozolomide be used as standard therapy in patients with anaplastic glioma?
