Rheumatoid Arthritis :: Cancer Drug Rituximab Fights Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study found rituximab to be a safe and effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The U.K. study, which included 465 men and women who had had arthritis for about 10 years, examined the effects of two doses of the drug.

“The results of the study’s 24-week analysis showed that both doses of rituximab were highly effective, and significantly better than placebo. It seems that the higher of the two doses produced the best effects,” Professor Paul Emery of the University of Leeds, said in a prepared statement.

Rituximab targets a specific type of immune cell and helps control inflammation and pain in arthritis patients.