Rituxan yields promising results in RRMS

Biotechnology major Genentech and fellow USA-based Biogen Idec reported positive data from a Phase II study of Rituxan (rituximab) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, held in Boston. Rituxan is their co-developed therapeutic antibody that targets and selectively depletes CD20-positive B-cells.

Commenting on the data, Stephen Hauser, professor of neurology, University of California, San Francisco, said: "these Phase II results are very encouraging and suggest B-cells play a key role in MS. They also lend support to the concept that selective targeting of B-cells may be an important approach to treating this debilitating disease." On the day of the news, shares in Genentech rose 2.6% to $82.09, while Biogen Idec stock inched up 1.2% to $47.77,

In the Phase II double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the primary endpoint was defined as the total number of gadolinium-enhancing T1 lesions at weeks 12, 16, 20 and 24, as measured by magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. The total number of gadolinium lesions at weeks 12, 16, 20 and 24 was statistically significantly reduced in patients treated with Rituxan compared to those receiving placebo (p<0.0001). At week 24, the total cumulative mean number of gadolinium lesions per patient was reduced 91%, to 0.5 in the Rituxan-treated group from 5.5 in the placebo arm, the firms noted.