Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) was an autoimmune bleeding illness in which rituximab (RTX), 1 of the recommended second-line therapies, has the best long-term benefit. Nonetheless, the best RTX treatment plan was unknown. The efficacy and safety of RTX at 2 different dosage regimens in patients with corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP were compared in the prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly randomized (1:1) to receive either RTX at a single dosage (375 mg/m2, S-RTX) or at a low dose (100 mg weekly for 4 weeks, LD-RTX). Overall, 64.3% of patients who received LD-RTX responded, compared with 67.4% of those who got S-RTX (p=.759). After LD-RTX, the complete response (CR) rate was 23.8%, and after S-RTX, it was 28.3% (p=.635). Compared with LD-RTX, S-RTX enhanced patients’ psychological state, quality of life, social activities, and work in terms of health-related quality of life. In addition, S-RTX considerably reduced physician visits while maintaining efficacy. The outcomes showed that S-RTX was as efficacious and safe as LD-RTX for the treatment of corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP. The single-dosage regimen enhanced the cost-effectiveness of RTX and was a potential and more practical alternative to LD-RTX in ITP.
Source:onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajh.26473
