Journal Article

Multiple sclerosis, rituximab, and COVID‐19

Li, Bonnie H., Debacker, Julie, Amirova, Samira, Langer‐Gould, Annette, Smith, Jessica B., Nielsen, Allen Scott, Ayeni, Oluwasheyi, Beaber, Brandon E, Brara, Sonu M

2021

Overview

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Kaiser Permanente Southern California from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. We found that rituximab‐treated persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS, n = 1895) were more likely be hospitalized (n = 8, 33.3%), but not die (n = 0) from COVID‐19, compared to the 4.81 million non‐MS population (5.8% and 1.4%, respectively). Time in months (adjusted OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.15–0.69, p = 0.0033) and receiving 1000 mg compared to lower doses at last infusion (adjusted OR = 6.28, 95% CI = 1.38–28.5, p = 0.0173) were independent predictors of COVID‐19 severity. Rituximab‐treated pwMS should be counseled to take extra precautions in the 5 months following each infusion. Using extended dosing intervals and lower doses could be considered.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,John Wiley and Sons Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Adult / Age / Antibodies / Brief Communication / Brief Communications / Cohort Studies / Comorbidity / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - epidemiology / COVID-19 - therapy / Drug dosages / Electronic health records / Ethnicity / Female / Hispanic people / Hospitalization / Hospitalization - trends / Humans / Immunologic Factors - administration & dosage / Immunotherapy / Infections / Infusions, Intravenous / Male / Middle Aged / Monoclonal antibodies / Multiple sclerosis / Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy / Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology / Population / Retrospective Studies / Rituximab - administration & dosage / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Standard deviation