A Clinical Trial of Rituximab

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I have recently become aware of a clinical trial that has started in my nation’s capital, Canberra.  That’s in Australia for anyone who didn’t know.

They said it has been studied as part of a treatment for ITP.  My ears pricked up.  How long has this been going on?  I have started to search around online and have found a lot of information, not only about the trials and treatments for ITP using this drug Rituximab, but also the drug itself.

ITP, ITP and Me, ITP Treatment, Trials, ITP CLinical trials.
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Articles – There is a lot of information, none of which I will try and summarise it all for you.  It is far too important for that… Instead, I have linked a few articles that you might like to read.  Most of them are over a year old already.

1.  American Society of Hematology, Rituximab promotes long term response for ITP.

2.  There is also an information sheet about the drug available from the Platelet Disorder Support Association, in their Treatments section.

3. Here is a page that is available to the public via a Norwegian University, from July 2011 (wow that is old!!)  Rituximab as Second Line Treatment for ITP.

I am very keen to learn all I can about this clinical trial and possibly a readily available drug therapy.  If anyone has been through the trial or a treatment program using Rituximab than please let us know how you went.

Look forward to hearing from you.

by Meg

Meghan Brewster is a writer and blogger. She is an ITP patient and launched ITP&Me in 2011. She is a coffee lover and a try hard dancer. @meghan_brewster

3 thoughts on “A Clinical Trial of Rituximab

  1. bernadettedowling@hotmail.com.au'
    Bernadette Dowling says:

    I was diagnosed with ITP in September 2006, my platelet count was 4. After six weeks of treatment with prednisolone and no response, my spleen was removed. My platelet count improved to 130 over the following week, but steadily dropped in the following four weeks back down to 7. I was referred to Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute to trial Rituximab . I started my trial in February 2007. My initial dose took nine hours to administer, following doses only four hours. I was given one dose per week for four weeks, then one dose every three months for the next two years. My platelet count rose slowly but steadily to 145 in the first year and as high as 600 by the end of the second year. With six monthly follow ups over the next two years my platelet count was in the normal range 450 when I was discharged from Peter Mac in February 2010. Besides a slight reaction to the first dose i.e feeling flushed with slight tightness in throat, I had no further reactions and no after affects after treatment.

    • Meg says:

      Wow, that is great to hear about the side effects.
      A platelet count of 600? Wow, that is high?
      Even 450 sounds like a very high count. I would be interesting to know more about your haematologist’s reaction to that number was…

  2. bhatton@internode.on.net'
    Bron says:

    I have had 4 lots of mabthera over the past 10.5 years. I was treated out of RPA Sydney. It is my drug of choice and has given me 3 ,3.2 and 3.6 years remission in between each lot. I had it for a day each week for 4 weeks with a dose of dexamethasone. My counts rose to 520,000 then settled around 230,000 and pretty much hold that way then. I did develope immune neutropenia from this was can be a side effect.It has by far the least side effects of any drug I have taken over 17 years. It is still off label prescription for ITP so can be difficult to get funded but as I was chronic refractory it was funded each time. I finished my last dose 2 weeks ago and have responses well. Each hospital has different protocol as to wether they will consider but it is becoming far more common out here thank goodness iits just the cost that can be prohibitive

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