Researchers affiliated with the International IIIb MAXIMA trial have reported that continued treatment for up to two years with Rituxan® (rituximab) is a safe therapeutic approach for the treatment of follicular lymphoma. These results were recently presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago June 2-May 30.

Treatment using Rituxan combined with chemotherapy has played a large role in the improved outcomes of patients with B-cell lymphomas during the past decade or more. However, studies are still being conducted on the optimal way of incorporating Rituxan into the overall management of patients with lymphoma. One of the issues that were recently investigated was the safety of long-term administration of Rituxan.

Previous studies have shown that maintenance therapy with Rituxan following induction with chemotherapy plus Rituxan prolongs duration of response and improves survival of patients with follicular lymphoma.

Researchers involved in the current study evaluated the safety of Rituxan as maintenance therapy among 349 patients with follicular lymphoma. Patients in the trial had responded to initial treatment that included Rituxan. On the trial they received maintenance therapy with Rituxan, given once every eight weeks for up to two years.

• Other than a stroke suffered by one patient, no safety issues were reported within 24 hours of administration of Rituxan.
• Hematologic side effects occurred in nine patients, three of whom experienced severe neutropenia.
• Overall, a total of nine safety issues were reported; however, only one of these was thought to be potentially related to treatment with Rituxan.
• Some initial therapies were identified that appeared to be associated with an increase in side effects when followed by maintenance Rituxan.

These researchers concluded that, for up to two years, “rituximab maintenance [every] 8 weeks in FL after rituximab-containing induction therapy can be safely administered.” Longer follow-up of patients on maintenance Rituxan therapy may provide further information about the safety of even longer maintenance therapy. Patients with follicular lymphoma who achieved anticancer responses to prior Rituxan may wish to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of maintenance therapy with Rituxan.

Comments: These data clearly demonstrate the safety of administering long-term Rituxan maintenance.

Related News:

Maintenance Rituxan® Provides Benefit in Relapsed NHL (6/9/2006)

Rituxan® Improves Survival in Patients with Follicular Lymphoma (12/30/2005)

Rituxan® Maintenance Prolongs Response Duration in Low Grade Lymphoma (6/1/2005)

Rituxan® Effective as Initial Induction and Maintenance for Patients with Indolent Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (10/25/2002)

Reference: Wenger M, Foa R, Arcaini L, et al. Safety in patients receiving maintenance rituximab for follicular lymphoma: results from the phase IIIb MAXIMA trial. Proceedings from the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 2008. Abstract #8606.