Rituximab

Administration

• Type: Antineoplastic/immunosuppressive agent
• Dosage Forms:
• Routes of Administration: IV
• Common Trade Names: Rituxan

Adult Dosing

• 375 mg/m² IV infusion, frequency varies by indication, but usually once weekly

Pediatric Dosing

Safety/efficacy not established

Special Populations

• Pregnancy Rating: C
• Lactation risk: Infant risk cannot be ruled out
• Renal dosing:
• Hepatic dosing:

Contraindications

• Allergy to class/drug

Adverse Reactions

Serious

• Cytopenias, pancytopenia
• Infectious disease: opportunistic infection, neutropenic fever, sepsis
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
• SJS/TEN
• Hypotension
• Supraventricular arrhythmia
• Tumor lysis syndrome, hypophosphatemia
• Gastrointestinal perforation
• Nephrotoxicity
• Lung injury, bronchospasm
• Angioedema
• Infusion reaction

Common

• Nausea, diarrhea
• Pruritus
• Anemia, neutropenia
• Weakness, muscular spasm, shivering
• Headache
• UTI, respiratory infection, fever
• Peripheral edema

Pharmacology

• Half-life: 9-75 days
• Metabolism:
• Excretion:

Mechanism of Action

• Monoclonal antibody, induces B cell apoptosis, preventing antigen presentation, T-cell activation, and proinflammatory cytokine cascade

See Also

• Immunocompromised antibiotics
• Biologic immunomodulators