Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

The conventional treatment in warm-antibody dependent autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is high-dose glucocorticoid, but in more than half of the patients, haemolytic activity will recur after end of treatment or during the gradual reduction in dose of the drug. As a result, many patients will finally be splenectomized or be treated with long-term glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressive drugs as azathioprine or cyclophosphamide. Recent studies have shown however, that some patients will respond to treatment with the chimeric anti-CD 20 antibody Rituximab and is some cases, the response is permanent. In most of the studies, Rituximab has been used in refractory disease or at least as second line treatment. In this study, patients with AIHA are randomized to receive either high-dose prednisolone with gradual reduction in dose over 2-3 months alone or in combination with Rituximab 375 mg/m2 once a week for 4 weeks. The efficacy of Rituximab will be evaluated by a comparison of the patients in the two treatment arms. The primary treatment goal is a reduction in the number of patients who obtain long-term complete or partial remission. The secondary treatment goal is a reduction in patients who will be splenectomised or receive other immunosuppressive drugs. Finally a comparison of side effects of the treatments will take place.


Clinical Trial Description

n/a


Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT01134432
Study type Interventional
Source Copenhagen University Hospital at Herlev
Contact
Status Completed
Phase Phase 3
Start date March 2005
Completion date July 2012

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT00006055 - Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Life Threatening Autoimmune Diseases N/A
Completed NCT00010387 - Phase II Study of High-Dose Cyclophosphamide in Patients With Severe Autoimmune Hematologic Disease Phase 2
Completed NCT00392951 - Sirolimus for Autoimmune Disease of Blood Cells Phase 1/Phase 2
Completed NCT00749112 - Alemtuzumab and Rituximab in the Treatment of Refractory Autoimmune Cytopenias Phase 2/Phase 3
Active, not recruiting NCT01579110 - Efficacy and Safety of Levamisole Combined With Standard Prednisolone in Warm Antibody Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. Phase 2