10-year-outcomes after rituximab for myasthenia gravis: Efficacy, safety, costs of inhospital care, and impact on childbearing potential.
Rituximab (RTX) has emerged as an attractive off-label treatment option for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) refractory to other immune therapies. However, data on long-term outcome after RTX for MG are still scarce. Here we present the 10-year outcomes [median (range) 10.1 (6.7-11.2) years] with respect to efficacy, safety, costs of inhospital care, and impact on childbearing potential in all four MG patients treated by one of the authors with RTX. In all patients, RTX led to sustained clinical improvement and eventual tapering of other immune therapies. RTX was well tolerated, and complications were not observed. After the start of RTX, annual costs for hospital admissions were markedly reduced compared to costs in the year preceding RTX. Under close clinical observation, two patients had uncomplicated pregnancies giving birth to a healthy child. With regard to its efficacy, excellent tolerance, lack of complications, low frequency of repeat infusions and pending patent expiry in many countries, RTX appears to compare favourably with other immune therapies used for MG. Multicentre trials and registries are urgently needed to further address long-term safety issues and clarify the efficacy and role of RTX in managing MG.
Consultant Neurologist in Private Practice, Linz, Austria. Electronic address: stieglbauer@aol.at.
Karl
K
Stieglbauer
Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Neuromed Campus, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. Electronic address: robert.pichler@gespag.at.
Robert
R
Pichler
Department of Neurology, Academic Teaching Hospital Wels-Grieskirchen, Wels, Austria. Electronic address: raffi.topakian@hotmail.com.
Raffi
R
Topakian
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001323:Autoantibodies; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D000069283:Rituximab; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Costs; Long-term outcome; Monoclonal antibody; Myasthenia gravis; Pregnancy; Rituximab; Safety; Treatment