Efficacy and safety of a biosimilar rituximab in biologic na < ve patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

摘要

Biosimilar usage in rheumatology is set to increase over the next few years. This study reports the efficacy and toxicity of a rituximab biosimilar in biologic na < ve patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who had inadequately responded to methotrexate. In 21 patients, over a follow-up period of 36 months, it demonstrated prolonged benefit in a majority (10 in remission with disease activity score 28 (DAS28) erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) < 2.6 and 9 in low disease activity state with DAS28 ESR between 3.2 and 2.6) and was well tolerated.