Nervous System Diseases

Immune System Diseases

All Conditions

Symptoms and General Pathology

Neoplasms

Rare Diseases

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive

Sclerosis

Neoplasm Metastasis

Autoimmune Diseases

Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System

Demyelinating Diseases

Neoplastic Processes

Chronic Disease

Disease Attributes

Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease

Antipyretics

Analgesics

All Drugs and Chemicals

Antineoplastic Agents

Antirheumatic Agents

Anti-Inflammatory Agents

Hematinics

Antiemetics

Neuroprotective Agents

Gastrointestinal Agents

Anti-Infective Agents

Anti-Allergic Agents

Dermatologic Agents

Acetaminophen

Rituximab

Prednisolone

Liver Extracts

Methylprednisolone

Carbamide Peroxide

Methylprednisolone Acetate

Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate

Prednisolone acetate

Prednisolone hemisuccinate

Prednisolone phosphate

Glatiramer Acetate

(T,G)-A-L

Chlorpheniramine

Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological

Immunologic Factors

Adjuvants, Immunologic

Immunosuppressive Agents

Patients in this group will receive 1g of rituximab in 500 cc normal saline serum through intravenous infusion as one treatment course. The treatment course will be repeated in 6 months. Along with rituximab, 100 mg methylprednisolone, 10 mg chlorpheniramine, and 500 mg acetaminophen will also be injected to decrease side effects of rituximab.

Patients in this group will receive 40 mg of glatiramer acetate three times per week through subcutaneous injection.

Patients will receive 1 g of rituximab (two vials of Zytux 500 mg/50 ml) in 500 cc normal saline serum through intravenous infusion as one treatment cycle. This cycle will be repeated every 6 months. Along with rituximab, patients will receive 100 mg of methylprednisolone, 10 mg of chlorpheniramine, and 500 mg of acetaminophen. Before each cycle, patients will be evaluated regarding complete blood count (CBC)-diff, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cr, and liver function tests.

Patients will receive 40 mg of glatiramer acetate three times per week through subcutaneous injection. Patients will undergo electrocardiography before starting the treatment to find any abnormal finding. Also, lab tests will be checked for them prior to the treatment, including CBC-diff, BUN, Cr, and liver function tests.

Vahid Shaygannejad, M.D.

The purpose of this study is to compare expanded disability status scale, annualized relapse rate, Gad-enhanced brain lesions, and side effects after administration of rituximab and glatiramer acetate among patients with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis during a one year follow up through a randomized clinical trial.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinative disease of central nervous system. Active secondary progressive MS means progressive accumulation of disability after an initial relapsing course which is also associated with clinical relapses and/or new/enlarged Gad-enhanced brain lesions. This form of the disease leads to high rates of morbidity and mortality among patients. Different immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents are recommended by researchers to decrease relapses and improve disability among MS patients. The effect of these medications on different phenotypes of MS are mostly investigated solely and very small number of comparative studies are conducted to evaluate the superiority of these medications on each other.

Glatiramer acetate is one of the known MS medications which is being used to control relapses from a long time ago and different clinical trials have shown its partial efficacy among MS patients. On the other hand, rituximab is one of the medications which is recently suggested for treatment of MS and currently phase II clinical trials are conducted to evaluate the efficacy of this medication among patients. As previously stated, there is a lack of clinical trials to compare the efficacy of suggested medications among secondary progressive patients. To fill this gap, we aimed to compare the efficacy of these two medications on disability, annualized relapse rate, and Gad-enhanced brain lesions among patients with active secondary progressive MS through a randomized clinical trial during a one-year follow-up period.

Comparison of Clinical Effects of Rituximab and Glatiramer Acetate in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Comparison of Expanded Disability Status Scale, Gad-enhanced Brain Lesions, Annualized Relapse Rate, and Side Effects Between Active Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Patients on Rituximab and Glatiramer Acetate

We may share the individual participant data (anonymously) on request of qualified investigators.

expanded disability status scale will be measured in the baseline and after 12 months of intervention. This scale measures the disability of patients with a score, ranging from 0 (normal neurological exam) to 10 (death due to MS). This score is assigned to the patient by the neurologist and after neurological examination. The patient will be given a score in this scale according to the observed disability. The scores will be compared at the end of study.

adverse drug reactions will be observed closely and reported during the intervention. We will compare the number of adverse drug reactions in two groups. Also, adverse drug reactions will be described by details in each group.

patients will undergo brain MRI before and after the study and number of Gad-enhanced brain lesions will compared before and after intervention.

annualized relapse rate will be measured in the baseline (according to patients' history in the last year) and after 12 months of intervention.

Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Professor of Neurology

Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for glatiramer acetate