Rituximab and Dexamethasone Followed by Mycophenolate Mofetil or Placebo in Patients With Immune Thrombocytopenia

Summary

The investigators will attempt to further increase the cure rate of ITP with medical therapy by providing maintenance therapy with Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to persistent/chronic ITP patients after treating them with induction therapy combining rituximab and dexamethasone. The investigators will randomly assign patients to MMF versus placebo in order to demonstrate safety (e.g., for infectious risk) and efficacy (platelet counts stably \>50x109/L more than 1 year off therapy).

Timeline

Start

2016-12-01

Primary completion

2016-12-01

Completion

—

Publications

• Background Bussel JB, Lee CS, Seery C, Imahiyerobo AA, Thompson MV, Catellier D, Turenne IG, Patel VL, Basciano PA, Elstrom RL, Ghanima W. Rituximab and three dexamethasone cycles provide responses similar to splenectomy in women and those with immune thrombocytopenia of less than two years duration. Haematologica. 2014 Jul;99(7):1264-71. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2013.103291. Epub 2014 Apr 18.
• Background Stasi R, Pagano A, Stipa E, Amadori S. Rituximab chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment for adults with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Blood. 2001 Aug 15;98(4):952-7. doi: 10.1182/blood.v98.4.952.
• Background Stasi R, Stipa E, Forte V, Meo P, Amadori S. Variable patterns of response to rituximab treatment in adults with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Blood. 2002 May 15;99(10):3872-3. doi: 10.1182/blood-2002-02-0392. No abstract available.
• Background Patel VL, Mahevas M, Lee SY, Stasi R, Cunningham-Rundles S, Godeau B, Kanter J, Neufeld E, Taube T, Ramenghi U, Shenoy S, Ward MJ, Mihatov N, Patel VL, Bierling P, Lesser M, Cooper N, Bussel JB. Outcomes 5 years after response to rituximab therapy in children and adults with immune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2012 Jun 21;119(25):5989-95. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-11-393975. Epub 2012 May 7.
• Background Zaja F, Baccarani M, Mazza P, Bocchia M, Gugliotta L, Zaccaria A, Vianelli N, Defina M, Tieghi A, Amadori S, Campagna S, Ferrara F, Angelucci E, Usala E, Cantoni S, Visani G, Fornaro A, Rizzi R, De Stefano V, Casulli F, Battista ML, Isola M, Soldano F, Gamba E, Fanin R. Dexamethasone plus rituximab yields higher sustained response rates than dexamethasone monotherapy in adults with primary immune thrombocytopenia. Blood. 2010 Apr 8;115(14):2755-62. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-07-229815. Epub 2010 Feb 3.

Drugs

Indications