What is rituximab injection for?

Rituximab injection is used alone or together with other medicines to treat a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). It is also used in combination with other cancer medicines to treat mature B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and mature B-cell acute leukemia (B-AL).

What will happen after rituximab injection?

After the first dose, you may receive a rituximab injection product more quickly, depending on how you respond to treatment. You may experience symptoms such as fever, shaking chills, tiredness, headache, or nausea while you are receiving a dose of a rituximab product, especially the first dose.

Is rituximab a chemotherapy?

RITUXAN is not chemotherapy RITUXAN is a type of antibody therapy that can be used alone or with chemotherapy. They work in different ways to find and attack the cells where cancer starts.

How is rituximab given?

Rituxan must be given directly into the bloodstream in order for it to be effective. So instead of being taken as a pill or an injection, it is given as an infusion, which is a needle placed in a vein. Infusions are given by trained healthcare professionals.

What are the benefits of rituximab?

Rituximab is used to treat certain types of cancer (such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia). It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. Some brands of rituximab are also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and can decrease joint pain and swelling.

Is rituximab a steroid?

Rituximab is an efficient and safe treatment in adults with steroid-dependent minimal change disease. Development of steroid dependency in patients with nephrotic syndrome may require a long-term multi-drug therapy at risk of drug toxicity and renal failure.

Does rituximab lower immune system?

Rituximab suppresses the immune system. Therefore, serious fungal, bacterial, and new or reactivated viral infections (for example, hepatitis B or C, shingles) can occur during or after treatment with rituximab. Generally, rituximab is avoided in the presence of active, significant infections.

How safe is rituximab?

Over 540,000 patients worldwide have now received rituximab and serious adverse reactions have occurred in a small minority of patients, but for the great majority of patients, rituximab is safe and well tolerated.

Is rituximab safe?

What steroid is given with rituximab?

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving rituximab together with prednisone works as first-line therapy in treating patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

How long does rituximab last?

Rituxan can provide up to 6 months of symptom improvement from 1 course of treatment (2 infusions given 2 weeks apart).

How long can you take rituximab?

Rituxan can provide up to 6 months of symptom improvement from 1 course of treatment (2 infusions given 2 weeks apart). Be sure to talk with your doctor to find out if starting and continuing treatment with Rituxan is right for you.