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    Anyone here on Rituxan

    After being on Avonex for about 8 years I was switched to Plegrity. I didn't get along well with Plegrity so my doctor wants to put me on Rituxan. I understand it's a hard drug to get approved by the insurance companies but it's a twice a month every six month infusion.
    Any input is appreciated.

    #2
    Hi Foxfire,

    Sorry to hear Plegridy didn't get along with you. I'm not on Rituxan (Rituximab), but thought these links might help you:

    Paying for the drug:

    http://www.genentech-access.com/ritu...sured-patients

    http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...ghlight=rituan (pg. 2)

    http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...passionate-Use

    Other threads that mention the drug:

    http://www.msworld.org/forum/search.php?searchid=2972

    In case you weren't aware of this, the US patent for Rituxan expires this year, which made it unprofitable for the manufacturer to pursue clinical trials regarding it's effectiveness in MS. Instead, a tweaked version of the drug, called Ocrelizumab, has been developed for MS. It more specifically targets the surface of CD20 B-cells. Results of Phase 3 clinical trials look promising, and it will be submitted for FDA approval early next year. If approved, it may be available late next year. ( http://www.mymsaa.org/publications/m...3/ocrelizumab/ ; http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Abo...Phase-III-Clin ; http://www.mstrust.org.uk/research/d...crelizumab.jsp ; http://www.gene.com/media/press-rele...nificantly-red)

    Best of luck getting teatment with Rituxan, and I hope it works well for you. Please keep us updated.
    Last edited by Kimba22; 07-21-2015, 12:06 PM. Reason: fixed url
    Kimba

    “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ― Max Planck

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      #3
      I'm not on Rituxan, but you might find the following link helpful. It talks about the safety and efficacy of rituximab:

      http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/35895

      It's interesting that they are considering Rituxan for MS. The clinic where I have my infusions have a large number of RA patients on this drug. The nurses said the infusion takes longer, and they have to monitor the patients more closely due to adverse events. The events aren't life threatening, but do exist.

      Please keep us updated on this drug.

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        #4
        And I will add the following article that I found on another forum that has some information you might find interesting.

        https://neuroimmunology.wordpress.co...ple-sclerosis/

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          #5
          I have NMO and after failing on other treatments for the first two years of my disease course I switched to Rituxan in 2007 and have been on it for nearly eight and a half years. It's been a very easy drug for me. Rituxan is anti CD20+ and reinfusion is dictated by the status of the CD19. For NMO patients, the desired levels are 0% and 0 absolute count with reinfusion done once the CD19 reaches a level of .1%. While it is most often an every six months infusion there are a small number of patients (myself included) who need to be infused more frequently. Because I have relapsed at 0 values I am infused every three months regardless of count.

          For the first year, my Rituxan was covered by the manufacturer (Genentech) because my insurance had denied it. The only charges to my insurance were for the infusion room services. Whenever the second year rolled round, I was notified that I would need to reapply to my insurance and be denied before Genentech would again cover it. Low and behold, my insurance decided to cover it and has done so since that time.

          I have many MS friends who are currently using it with good results. There is a good Facebook group for MS patients using Rituxan, and it has a list contributed to by members that lists insurance companies that are covering it. I wish you luck in getting it covered, and hope that it works as well for you as it has for me.

          Grace (NMO+ since 2005)

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            #6
            I am on my second set of infusions with Rituxan. I am having the second set of infusions 9 months after the first since my B cell count has stayed at 0. I have not had any problems with this med other than some mild allergic reactions during infusion which they have been able to control with solumedrol, IV benadryl and IV Zantac as well as Tylenol.
            I am going to ask my neuro if we can go to the traditional every 6 month infusions as my symptoms seemed to start increasing around 7-8 month mark. We'll see how I feel after next weeks infusion.
            Good luck to you!

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              #7
              Rituxin

              Rituxin was a hard drug for me to take. It made me lifeless for time I was on it. I thought it would give me energy since it had steroids in it, but I was wrong. I took two infusions, and I never went back. It simply made me feel like I had the flu for several weeks, and it made me lifeless. Insurance companies do not like it because it is very expensive. My mother took it for her leukemia, and she loved it. She bounced off the wall for the five weeks she took it. She took a treatment once a week for five weeks. She loved it, but it wasn't for me.
              Melissa--Betaseron 2007-2010; Novantrone 2008; Tysabri 2010-2012; Rituxan 2012; Tecfidera 2015; Currently-No DMD

              Healer is my GOD!

              Comment


                #8
                Hi tired teacher. Rituxan itself does not contain steroids. It's a MAB (monoclonal antibody) that targets CD20+, a surface antigen (activated-glycosylated phosphoprotein) expressed on B Lymphocytes. It's purpose is not to treat symptoms, but rather to prevent relapse. The usual protocol is a 125 mg push of IV SoluMedrol, along with the usual pre medications of Benadryl and Tylenol, prior to the infusion of Rituxan itself. That being said, I have fellow NMO patients who regularly receive one gram (1000 mgs) of IV SoluMedrol prior to their infusion, but that is not the protocol that I use.

                Grace (NMO+ since 2005)

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