| JXStern 2004-10-15, 7:20 pm |
| We saw a report a year or so ago that killing off all B-cells might be
a form of "rebooting" the immune system as a treatment for psoriasis.
Here's a report of a trial of an anti-B-cell drug, approved for
treating lymphoma, to treat RA. Relevant points are that (a) there is
an anti-B-cell drug! (b) RA is generally seen now as a very close
relative, immune-system wise, to psoriasis, (c) this drug does not
kill *all* B-cells, (d) this is an early report, the treatment is
complex, also involving mtx and steroids, and it's unclear how
successful it was. But I thought it worth posting if only because of
(a)!
Oh yes, (e), the drug, Rituxan (retuximab), while apparently in use
since 1997, is not fully humanized and seems to generate quite a few
serious/fatal events.
J.
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/ritux_cp.htm
http://www.rituxan.com/rituxan/index.jsp
(note this message was posted with an incorrect subject line, the drug
involved is Rituxan, NOT Remicade!!!)
http://www.google.com/groups?selm=9...1.bay.webtv.net
I do wish the poster of these messages on alt.support.arthritis
included a source URL, but she doesn't.
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