Rituxan (rituximab) is a monoclonal antibody medication that treats different types of blood cancer. Rituxan is also an immunotherapy medication, meaning it helps make the immune system better at fighting cancer. Different Rituxan formulations and biosimilars are available.

Is rituximab chemotherapy or immunotherapy?

Rituxan (rituximab) is a monoclonal antibody medication that treats different types of blood cancer. Rituxan is also an immunotherapy medication, meaning it helps make the immune system better at fighting cancer. Different Rituxan formulations and biosimilars are available.

Is rituximab a form of 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.

Why is rituximab chimeric?

They choose this species because the constant domains of their antibodies are very similar to those in humans, unlike those of the mouse, allowing the chimeric antibody to function as it would in humans. Following administration of rituximab the number of B cells in the monkey’s bloodstream fell dramatically.

What type of antibody is rituximab?

Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody including human IgG1 constant regions and a murine anti-human CD20 variable region which can lyse lymphocytes B (CD20+ cells) (6).

What is the difference between Rituxan and rituximab?

Rituxan is the trade name for rituximab. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name rituxan when referring to the generic drug name rituximab. Drug type: Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody. (For more detail, see “How this drug works” section below).

What are the long-term side effects of rituximab?

Does Rituxan cause any long-term side effects?

  • heart problems, such as heart attack or ventricular fibrillation (a type of abnormal heart rhythm)
  • blockage or tearing of your intestines.
  • kidney failure or other serious kidney problems.
  • serious infections, such as shingles.
  • reactivation of the hepatitis B virus*

What is the success rate of rituximab?

Rituximab with bendamustine (Treanda, Cephalon) was studied in a phase 2 trial in patients with relapsed disease. This combination was found to be very effective, with an ORR of 92%.

What cancers are treated with rituximab?

Rituximab is approved to be used in alone or with other drugs to treat:

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia that is advanced and CD20 positive.
  • B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that is CD20 positive.

What is a chimeric monoclonal antibody?

Definition of Chimeric Monoclonal Antibody Chimeric antibodies are structural chimeras made by fusing variable regions from one species like a mouse, with the constant regions from another species such as a human being.

Is rituximab an antibody?

Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds to CD20, was the first monoclonal antibody to be approved for clinical use in the therapy of cancer.

Who should not take rituximab?

However, use of rituximab injection is not indicated in children younger than 2 years of age with GPA or MPA, in children younger than 6 months of age with mature B-cell NHL and B-AL, or in children with other conditions.