Rituxan

On December 18, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration alerted medical health care professionals and their patients to a new warning regarding the drug Rituxan and the potential hazards of prescribing it to for off-label treatment for a condition called systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE.  Rituxan is only approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but many doctors have discovered that it is a suitable treatment for a number of other autoimmune diseases.  Unfortunately, Rituxan has been linked to 23 reported cases of a deadly brain and central nervous system viral infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML.

Rituxan works by suppressing a type of white blood cell called a B cell.  While this approach is an effective treatment for many types of conditions, it is not without certain risks.  The most common risk is that in suppressing the immune system, Rituxan opens up the body to a number of serious complications such as viral and bacterial infections.  These are particularly dangerous for someone with an already compromised immune system, and when doctors use Rituxan for off label purposes to treat SLE it is difficult to determine if the side effects of the drug are actually PML or merely the symptoms the drug is trying to treat.

Early warning sign of PML include:

• Dizziness
• Loss of Balance
• Vision difficulties
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficuly walking
• Confusion

There is no effective treatment for PML, and the disease is usually fatal.

Rituxan is so dangerous that in February 2006 the labeling of the drug was changed to reflect the likelihood of severe viral infections such as PML, and doctors were advised to only prescribe the drug for its intended uses, rather than for off label treatments.  Rituxan should only be used when all other conventional treatments have failed, in order to reduce the potential for serious complications.

If you or someone you know has been adversely affected by the off label use of Rituxan, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your pain and suffering.  If you wait too long, however, the time restrictions called the statute of limitations in your state could prevent you from getting the financial restitution you may deserve.  Let our dedicated, aggressive, and experienced defective drug attorneys help you.  Contact us today.

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