Rituximab as first-line treatment of pemphigus

Pemphigus is a rare, life-threatening autoimmune blistering disorder with an incidence of one to seven new cases per million inhabitants per year in Europe and the USA. The two major pemphigus subtypes—pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus—account for about 75% and 20% of cases, respectively. First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open-label randomised trialData from our trial suggest that first-line use of rituximab plus short-term prednisone for patients with pemphigus is more effective than using prednisone alone, with fewer adverse events. Full-Text PDF