Maintenance of remission of ANCA vasculitis by rituximab based on B cell repopulation versus serological flare: a randomised trial

Objective To compare two long-term remission maintenance strategies for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) vasculitis. Methods We conducted a prospective, single-centre, open-label, randomised controlled trial of patients with ANCA vasculitis in remission after completing at least 2 years of fixed-schedule rituximab. In the B cell arm, rituximab was reinfused upon B cell repopulation; in the ANCA arm, rituximab was reinfused upon significant rise in ANCA level. Evaluations were conducted every 3 months. The primary endpoint was clinical relapse, defined as a modified BVAS/WG >0 by 36 months. Secondary endpoints included serious adverse events (SAEs) and rituximab exposure. Results 115 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up time was 4.1 years (IQR 2.5–5.0). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, 4.1% (95% CI 1.0 to 15.6) of patients had a clinical relapse in the B cell arm, compared with 20.5% (95% CI 11.9 to 34.1) in the ANCA arm, at 3 years after study entry (log-rank p=0.045). Total SAEs, including infectious SAEs, and deaths did not differ. The number of SAEs due to COVID-19 was higher in the B cell arm (p=0.049). In the B cell arm, patients received a mean of 3.6 (SD 2.4) infusions (3.6 g) per person over the median study follow-up time of 4.1 years, compared with 0.5 (SD 1.4) infusions (0.5 g) per patient in the ANCA arm (p<0.001). Conclusions Rituximab dosed for B cell repopulation results in fewer clinical relapses than when dosed for a rise in ANCA level in maintenance of remission for ANCA vasculitis. Overall safety was equivalent; SAEs due to COVID-19 and rituximab exposure were higher with the B cell strategy. Trial registration number NCT02749292 .