Rituximab for NHL can help prolong survival

Patients with indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) live longer if they are treated with rituximab (MabThera) in combination with chemotherapy, Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Tuesday.

In data presented to the American Society of Hematology in San Diego, Roche said more patients receiving MabThera in combination with chemotherapy survived after 2 years than those who only received chemotherapy alone.MabThera is already approved in Europe for first-line treatment of indolent NHL. It is marketed in the US as Rituxan.A second study reinforced that MabThera should be part of the standard treatment for indolent NHL.These data showed that patients who continued to take MabThera therapy for 2 years following initial treatment gained, on average, 2 years without disease progression compared with patients who did not continue therapy, Roche said in a statement.(Source: American Society of Hematology: Reuters Health: Oncolink: December 2004.)