title: Rituximab: current status as therapy for malignant and benign hematologic disorders.
abstract: Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting the pan-B-cell antigen CD20 and was the first monoclonal antibody approved for clinical use in the treatment of cancer. Since its first approval by the FDA in 1997, investigators have continued to explore a variety of clinical conditions in which rituximab has proven effective with minimal toxicity. Rituximab, as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy, has been studied extensively in untreated and relapsed/refractory settings as both induction and maintenance therapy for the treatment of CD20-positive lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, in addition to non-malignant hematologic disorders including autoimmune hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Here we discuss the clinical development of rituximab with a review of the efficacy data from clinical trials and its current status in the practice of hematology and oncology.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0565, USA.
authors.forename: Nihal E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Abdulla
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ninan
authors.forename: Avi B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Markowitz
mesh_terms: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000276:immunology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab