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    Journal of Pharmacology and PharmacotherapeuticsNOW IN
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    Rituximab, a Safer Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comparison of the Reported Adverse Events of Approved Monoclonal Antibodies

    Sweety Sharma1, Somnath Basu2, Ramesh K. Goyal1, Parbhat K. Sahoo3, Rajani Mathur1★★ Corresponding author

    1. 1Department of Pharmacology, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, PushpVihar, New Delhi, India.
    2. 2Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India, India.
    3. 3Department of Pharmaceutics, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, India.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    Rajani Mathur

    Department of Pharmacology, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017, India.

    mathurajani@gmail.com

    ORCID: 0000-0001-8566-652X

    Received: 10-09-2022; Accepted: 02-01-2023.

    Volume 13, Issue 4 · pp. 330–340 · PUBLISHED 2022 · DOI: 10.1177/0976500X231154743

    View on J Pharmacol. Pharmacother. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have been linked to a variety of adverse events (AEs). The objective of the study was to compare the safety profiles of six FDA approved mAbs (sarilumab, tocilizumab, adalimumab, golimumab, infliximab, and rituximab) marketed for the treatment of RA. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct. The manuscript comprised a total of 23 clinical studies. The percentage of patients who had AEs was calculated and presented using box-whisker and forest plots. Infections and infestations were found to be the most common AEs in RA patients treated with mAbs. Raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and nasopharyngitis were frequently reported. The most common AEs were reported with adalimumab. The highest percentage of patients reporting AEs was associated with golimumab (52%), while rituximab had the fewest AEs (4.9%). In conclusion, rituximab appears to be a safer treatment option for RA as it is found to be associated with a lower risk of AEs, particularly respiratory infections.

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      Sharma, S., Basu, S., Goyal, R. K., Sahoo, P. K., & Mathur, R. (2022). Rituximab, a Safer Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comparison of the Reported Adverse Events of Approved Monoclonal Antibodies. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 13(4), 330–340. https://doi.org/10.1177/0976500X231154743