What is the difference between Rituxan and Rituxan Hycela?
Rituxan Hycela (rituximab and hyaluronidase human) includes the same monoclonal antibody as Rituxan (rituximab), but in combination with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that helps to deliver rituximab by subcutaneous injection under the skin. The original Rituxan is given only by intravenous (IV) infusion.
Rituxan Hycela is administered via subcutaneous injection to adults with the following blood cancers:
- follicular lymphoma
- diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Rituxan is administered via intravenous infusion for the following conditions:
- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (including follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma)
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- rheumatoid arthritis
- granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) (Wegener’s Granulomatosis) and
microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) - pemphigus vulgaris
Clinical studies showed Rituxan Hycela delivered similar blood levels and effectiveness of rituximab; however, the majority (77 percent) of patients preferred Rituxan Hycela over IV Rituxan due to less time spent in the clinic.
Read next
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are man-made proteins that mimic the natural antibodies produced by our immune systems. Monoclonal antibodies can be formulated into medicines to treat various types of illnesses, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. Continue reading
What are biosimilar drugs and how do they compare to biologics?
A biosimilar is a biological product that is similar to a reference biologic (usually the originally approved product) and for which there are no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety, purity, and potency. One example is Amjevita (adalimumab-atto), the first biosimilar approved for Humira (adalimumab) on September 23, 2016. Continue reading
Does Rituxan cause hair loss?
It’s possible for Rituxan (rituximab) to cause hair loss. This includes losing hair anywhere on your body, such as your head, legs, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Hair loss (alopecia) does not seem to be a common side effect of Rituxan. Continue reading
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Drug information
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