Re: Rituxan and PML?

Ross M Greenberg wrote:

I've been busily getting Rituxanin infusions at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for about six months. Now reports are out that's some Lupus sufferers (two, in fact) have died from PML, the same thing that knocked Tysabri off the market for so long.

I'm due for my next infusion in a month or so (I'm now getting them every six months) after having about a half dozen so far. I'm a PP MS sufferer and the Rituxan is certainly being used "off-label".

Do you think I should be concerned, will rely on the Shepherd Center and its expertise to continue with my treatment and my life?

Ross


According to this article

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=governmentFilingsNews&storyID=2006-12-19T013010Z_01_N18209718_RTRIDST_0_GENENTECH-RITUXAN-UPDATE-2.XML
(or http://preview.tinyurl.com/yf2vqp)

there are/were 10,000 people taking Rituxan for Lupus and two people have developed PML. No telling how many other folks are taking it for the diseases it was intended for (lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis). Also no way to tell right now if the two that did get PML might have MS.

Given that the 2/10000 people have contracted PML (probably from Rituxan, but that isn't for sure) it becomes an issue of how much do you think it is helping and how comfortable are you with those odds.

Life is a crap shoot, baby. It gets even worse when you have to do things that aren't 'normal' to deal with whatever cards you have been dealt (is that too many gambling references in one message?)

Kevin


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FWIW. The reply to address is good, but I don't
check it unless I am expecting something. SOOOO,
don't use it if you expect a reply anytime soon.
.