Encouraging data on rituximab in polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica was officially recognised as a distinct clinical entity six decades ago, acknowledged in an editorial published The Lancet March, 1961. 1 LancetPolymyalgia rheumatica. Lancet. 1961; 1: 597-599 Google Scholar At that time, the effectiveness of glucocorticoids treatment disease already noted, initially at doses 30–40 mg prednisone per day and later currently recommended starting dose 15 day. Glucocorticoids are still mainstay patients with polymyalgia rheumatica; however, there is unmet need for alternatives, approximately 50% will relapse, many have clinically significant glucocorticoid-related complications, such increased body weight, hypertension, bone fractures, development diabetes, cataract. 2 Buttgereit F Dejaco C Matteson EL Dasgupta B giant cell arteritis: systematic review. JAMA. 2016; 315: 2442-2458 Crossref PubMed Scopus (196) Efficacy rituximab rheumatica: double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trialRituximab shown to be efficacious combination 17-week glucocorticoid compared alone terms glucocorticoid-free remission If these findings confirmed by larger trials, could valuable glucocorticoid-sparing Full-Text PDF