Lower-cost off-label Drug Rituximab Matches Ocrelizumab in Relapsing MS Trial

A randomized phase 3 study found that lower-cost off-label rituximab performed similarly to ocrelizumab for MRI disease control in newly diagnosed relapsing multiple sclerosis

For people newly diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis, rituximab was noninferior to ocrelizumab in preventing new or enlarging brain MRI lesions over 2 years. The trial does not prove the drugs are identical in every way, but it gives clinicians stronger randomized evidence that rituximab may be a practical first-line anti-CD20 option where acces…