Rapidly increasing off-label use of rituximab in multiple sclerosis in Sweden Outlier or predecessor?Show others and affiliations
2018 (English)In: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, ISSN 0001-6314, E-ISSN 1600-0404, Vol. 138, no 4, p. 327-331Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
ObjectivesOff-label use of rituximab to treat MS patients in Sweden is high, and the need for long-term safety data may not be met. Our objectives were to assess the rate of rituximab prescription in patients with multiple sclerosis in Sweden and, in addition, to evaluate the safety of rituximab in a single centre for patients with multiple sclerosis. Material and MethodsReview of the Swedish MS register was performed to study the number of MS patients treated with rituximab during the last 6years. Investigation also included a retrospective review of medical files in search for possible side effects/adverse events in all adult patients with MS treated with rituximab at Uppsala University Hospital. ResultsPresently, in Sweden the rate of rituximab prescriptions in relation to other annually started of disease- modifying drugs in MS is 53.5%. ConclusionsThe share of MS patients in Sweden who are treated with rituximab is very high, and also rapidly increasing. Taken into account the off-label use, cases with adverse medical conditions that could possibly be related to rituximab use should be reported thoroughly.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
WILEY , 2018. Vol. 138, no 4, p. 327-331
Keywords [en]
adverse events; immunomodulatory drugs; multiple sclerosis; off-label prescription; pharmacotherapy; rituximab side effects
National Category
Neurology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-151464DOI: 10.1111/ane.12963ISI: 000443931400009PubMedID: 29797711OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-151464DiVA, id: diva2:1250687
Note
Funding Agencies|County Council of Uppsala; Uppsala University
2018-09-242018-09-242018-09-24