Rituximab for Pediatric Central Nervous System Inflammatory Disorders in Alberta, Canada
| Autor: | Ihor Pecuh, Jeremy Slobodan, Jennifer A. McCombe, Francois-Dominique Morneau-Jacob, Penelope Smyth, Colin Wilbur |
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| Rok vydání: | 2023 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques. :1-7 |
| ISSN: | 2057-0155 0317-1671 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/cjn.2023.16 |
| Popis: | Background: Early and effective treatment of central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorders is vital to reduce neurologic morbidity and improve long-term outcomes in affected children. Rituximab is a B-cell-depleting monoclonal antibody whose off-label use for these disorders is funded in the province of Alberta, Canada, by the Short-Term Exceptional Drug Therapy (STEDT) program. This study describes the use of rituximab for pediatric CNS inflammatory disorders in Alberta. Methods: Rituximab applications for CNS inflammatory indications in patients Results: Fifty-one unique rituximab applications were identified, of which 50 were approved. New applications increased from one in 2012 to a high of 12 in 2018. The most common indication was autoimmune encephalitis without a specified antibody (n = 16, 31%). Most children were approved for a two-dose (n = 33, 66%) or four-dose (n = 16, 32%) induction regimen. Physician-reported outcomes were available for 24 patients, of whom 14 (58%) were felt to have fully met outcome targets. Conclusion: The use of rituximab for pediatric CNS inflammatory disorders has increased, particularly for the indication of autoimmune encephalitis. This study identified significant heterogeneity in dosing practices and laboratory monitoring. Standardized protocols for the use of rituximab in these disorders and more robust outcome reporting will help better define the safety and efficacy of rituximab in this population |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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