Rituximab mejor que ciclofosfamida en Escleroderma

Rituximab Found Safe And Effective Alternative To Cyclophosphamide In Treating Patients With Scleroderma.

Pulmonology Advisor (8/27) reports on a study published in Rheumatology finding that "rituximab is a safe and effective alternative to cyclophosphamide when used to manage the progression of scleroderma and subsequent development of interstitial lung disease and hypertensive complications." The study included 60 patients age 18 to 60 "diagnosed with diffuse systemic scleroderma involving the skin and lung" who were randomly assigned to "receive monthly pulses of cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 (n=30) or 2 doses of rituximab 1000 mg (n=30) at days 0 and 15 for 6 months." The study found that the "FVC [forced vital capacity] of the rituximab group improved significantly from 61.30 to 67.52 at the end of study, while the FVC in the cyclophosphamide group decreased slightly from 59.25 to 58.06." It also found that "secondary outcomes all favored rituximab."