Key clinical point: Periconceptional rituximab is a highly effective and safe treatment for women with suboptimally controlled multiple sclerosis (MS).
Major finding: Among 38 live births, 3 deliveries were preterm (including 1 set of twins), 1 baby was admitted for perinatal ischemic stroke, and 1 twin died after 6 days from an intraventricular hemorrhage. Fifteen women reported at least one first-trimester miscarriage, of whom 8 had a history of infertility. No stillbirths, chorioamnionitis, or major malformations were recorded. Only 2 women experienced relapses, one during pregnancy and the other postpartum.
Study details: The data come from a study of 55 women with MS (74 pregnancies) treated with at least 1 dose of rituximab infusion before conception.
Disclosures: This study was supported in part by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Some of the investigators reported receiving research grants from multiple pharmaceutical companies.
Citation: Smith JB et al. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2020 May 01. doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000734.