To the Editor:
The therapeutic options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been significantly improved by the introduction of novel biological agents1. In this context the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab (RTX) was approved for treatment of active and resistant RA in Germany in 2006. RTX was shown to represent a safe and effective treatment option over several courses leading to selective and transient depletion of the CD20+ B cell population2–4. However, to date the optimal timepoint for retreatment has not been defined exactly, and longterm treatment strategies using RTX have not been established.
Our observational cohort study was performed to compare different treatment strategies using RTX and especially the effects of early retreatment within 4 to 6 months after first drug administration with a retreatment interval of more than 6 months in patients with RA (Figure 1). Baseline characteristics of the 39 RA patients are shown in Table 1. The respective comorbidities included overlapping chronic …
Address correspondence to H. Bastian, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: hans.bastian{at}charite.de