Rituximab and cyclophosphamide have similar overall efficacy in patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease, but rituximab may be associated with fewer adverse events, suggest findings from a phase 2b trial.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab and cilgavimab may be an effective strategy to prevent symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among people with rheumatic diseases treated with rituximab, suggest findings from a real-world study.

Sequential treatment with rituximab followed by mepolizumab may be a promising strategy to treat the systemic and respiratory manifestations of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, suggest findings from an observational study.

Study findings presented at the British Society for Rheumatology 2022 Annual Conference in Glasgow, UK, provide support for pausing or delaying rituximab and considering other treatment options for people with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gene expression profiles are associated with rituximab response among people of African or Asian ancestry with systemic lupus erythematosus, but not in those of European ancestry, research suggests.

How can rheumatologists respond to the challenges associated with rituximab use during the pandemic?

The meta-analysis included 23 studies involving a total of 1342 patients treated with anti-CD20 therapy (rituximab, ocrelizumab, obinutuzumab, ofatumumab, or ibritumomab tiuxetan) for conditions including rheumatic diseases, multiple sclerosis, kidney transplantation, and cancer.

With rituximab-treated patients having an elevated risk for severe COVID-19 and a reduced likelihood of responding to vaccines, Sebastian Sattui and David Jayne discuss how these challenges can be addressed and explore the future role of the drug for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

With rituximab-treated patients having an elevated risk for severe COVID-19 and a reduced likelihood of responding to vaccines, Sebastian Sattui and David Jayne discuss how these challenges can be addressed and explore the future role of the drug for the treatment of rheumatic diseases (13:17).

Findings from a US database study suggest that with the exception of rituximab, prior treatment with immunosuppressive medications is not associated with an increased risk for mechanical ventilation or death among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Findings from two studies suggest that among rituximab-treated patients, those with a longer time since their last infusion may be more likely to have an antibody response to vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.

It is possible for rituximab-treated patients with no response to two mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 to respond to a third dose, with similar response rates among those switching to a vector vaccine and those given a third dose of the same vaccine, research suggests.

Researchers have identified a minimum level of B cells in the peripheral circulation that may serve as a biomarker for response to COVID-19 vaccines among rituximab-treated patients.

A third dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine gives rise to a neutralizing antibody response in the majority of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis, but those treated with rituximab are unlikely to respond, researchers report.

Researchers have developed a calculator that could help clinicians predict the probability of a seropositive immunogenic response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs) receiving rituximab.

Following rituximab with the anti–B-cell activating factor monoclonal antibody belimumab may be a valid treatment option for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus that is refractory to conventional therapy, phase 2 study data suggest.

Phase 3 trial findings presented at the ACR Convergence 2021 virtual meeting suggest that adding a single cycle of rituximab to belimumab therapy does not improve disease control rates among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Delaying the third dose of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 until B-cell repopulation may warrant investigation as a strategy to improve response rates among rituximab-treated patients, suggest findings from a small study.

Findings from the proof-of-concept BRIDGE-PMR study suggest that rituximab may be beneficial for  the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica.