Observational studyPloS one2018
Effectiveness and safety of Rituximab in multiple sclerosis: an observational study from Southern Switzerland.
Observational study in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rituximab for people with multiple sclerosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- The Efficacy and Safety of Anti-CD20 Antibody Treatments in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.CNS drugs · 2022Pooled it
- Rituximab for people with multiple sclerosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Rituximab Versus Ocrelizumab in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Finnish Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.European journal of neurology · 2026Article
- The real-world effectiveness and safety of off-label rituximab in a large cohort of Middle Eastern multiple sclerosis patients.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026Observational
- Effectiveness of Rituximab in rElapsiNg Multiple SclErosis previously treated with hiGhly-Active Disease modifying thErapies (RENEGADE study).Journal of neurology · 2025Observational
- Efficacy of ocrelizumab versus rituximab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2025Article
- Long-Term Adverse Events of Rituximab in Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Isfahan, Iran.International journal of preventive medicine · 2025Article
- The landscape of real-world evidence of rituximab utilization and clinical outcomes in patients with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis: A scoping review.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2024Article
- Efficacy and safety of rituximab in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Rituximab for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Thailand: an economic evaluation and budget impact analysis.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Adverse drug reactions of Rituximab in patients suffering from autoimmune neurological diseases.Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences · 2022Observational
- Effect of Rituximab Compared with Natalizumab and Fingolimod in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with multiple sclerosis: An observational study at a tertiary center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) · 2022Observational
- Rituximab for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: a review.Journal of neurology · 2022Review
- Comparative effectiveness of rituximab in multiple sclerosis.Nature reviews. Neurology · 2021Article
- RituximabTherapeutic advances in chronic disease · 2021Article
- Rituximab in Multiple Sclerosis: Are We Ready for Regulatory Approval?Frontiers in immunology · 2021Review
- Experience with rituximab therapy in a real-life sample of multiple sclerosis patients.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2020Article
- Rituximab versus natalizumab, fingolimod, and dimethyl fumarate in multiple sclerosis treatment.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2020Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite positive results from phase II and observational studies, Rituximab (RTX) is not currently approved for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment and can only be used off-label.
objectiveTo characterize MS patients treated with RTX and investigate its effectiveness and safety in a clinical practice setting.
methodsObservational analysis of data collected from MS patients at the Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland. Relapses, EDSS worsening, MRI lesion accrual and "evidence of disease activity" (EDA) status were described by Cox regression. RTX and natalizumab treated patients were matched by propensity scores.
resultsOut of 453 MS patients, 82 were treated with RTX, 43 (52.4%) relapsing-remitting (RRMS) and 39 (47.6%) progressive MS (median age = 48 [40-54] years, females n = 60 [73.2%], EDSS = 4.0 [2.5-6.0], median follow-up = 1.5 [1.0-2.5] years). Three relapses occurred and 59 (75.6%) patients had not EDA at follow-up end. Time to EDA was similar in RTX and natalizumab treated RRMS patients (HR = 1.64, 95%CI = 0.46-5.85, p = 0.44). Twenty-four patients presented non infusion related adverse events (infections), requiring RTX discontinuation in 6 individuals.
conclusionThese results provide further evidence for RTX being effective in MS treatment, to a similar extent to natalizumab in RRMS. Clinicians must be vigilant for the potential occurrence of infections.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.