Rituximab: Recommendations of the French Vasculitis Study Group (FVSG) for induction and maintenance treatments of adult, antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated necrotizing vasculitides

• Published in: La Presse médicale (1983) 2013-10, Vol.42 (10), p.1317-1330
• Main Authors: Charles, Pierre, Bienvenu, Boris, Bonnotte, Bernard, Gobert, Pierre, Godmer, Pascal, Hachulla, Éric, Hamidou, Mohamed, Harlé, Jean-Robert, Karras, Alexandre, Lega, Jean-Christophe, Le Quellec, Alain, Mahr, Alfred D., Mouthon, Luc, Papo, Thomas, Puéchal, Xavier, Pugnet, Gregory, Samson, Maxime, Sibilia, Jean, Terrier, Benjamin, Vandergheynst, Frederick, Guillevin, Loïc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis - therapy; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Education, Medical, Continuing; France; General aspects; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Immunotherapy - legislation & jurisprudence; Immunotherapy - methods; Induction Chemotherapy - methods; Maintenance Chemotherapy - methods; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rituximab; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Societies, Medical - legislation & jurisprudence; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vasculitis - etiology; Vasculitis - therapy
• ISSN: 0755-4982; 2213-0276
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lpm.2013.08.003

Increasing rituximab prescription for ANCA-associated necrotizing vasculitides justifies the publication of recommendations for clinicians. Rituximab is approved in the United States to induce and maintain remission. In Europe, rituximab was recently approved for remission induction. However, governmental agencies’ approvals cannot replace clinical practice guidelines. Herein, the French Vasculitis Study Group Recommendations Committee, comprised of physicians with extensive experience in the treatment of vasculitides, presents its consensus guidelines based on literature analysis, the results of prospective therapeutic trials and personal experience. L’utilisation grandissante du rituximab en traitement des vascularites nécrosantes associées aux ANCA justifie la publication de recommandations de pratiques. Une autorisation de mise sur le marché (AMM) a été obtenue aux États-Unis d’Amérique pour l’induction et le maintien de la rémission et en Europe pour l’induction de la rémission. Ces autorisations ne se substituent pas aux règles de bonne pratique clinique et le groupe d’expert réuni par le Groupe français d’étude des vascularites présente ici une liste de recommandations fondées sur l’analyse de la littérature, les résultats d’études thérapeutiques prospectives et le consensus établi par des médecins du groupe.