A new review article from the journal Dermatologic Therapy reveals that rituximab, a drug used to treat lymphoma, is now becoming used by dermatologists to treat various dangerous skin diseases.
Originally developed as the standard therapy in treating aggressive lymphomas, the drug rituximab is showing increased non-cancer use. The study reviewed the off-label uses of rituximab in dermatology and found that it successfully treated patients with various kinds of blistering skin disease, including pemphigus vulgaris, dermatomyositis, and paraneoplastic pemphigus.
Newer, safer treatments are being studied for serious dermatologic disorders, and rituximab's efficacy has been shown in a variety of dangerous skin problems. "As case reports and randomized trials explore the utility of rituximab," the authors note, "the indications for rituximab will continue to be defined."
This study is published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy.
To view the abstract for this article, please click here.
Michael P. Heffernan, MD, is affiliated with Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Dermatologic Therapy was created to fill an important void in the dermatologic literature: the lack of a readily available source of up-to-date information on the treatment of specific cutaneous diseases and the practical application of specific treatment modalities. The information contained in each issue is so practical and detailed that the reader should be able to directly apply various treatment approaches to daily clinical situations.
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Source: Amy Molnar
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.