( placebo arm (58 percent relative reduct...)Rituxan Phase II Data in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple,Sclerosis Presented at the American Academy of Neurology,Health

With the exception of infusion associated adverse events, the percentage of patients with overall adverse events and serious adverse events were comparable between the two treatment groups during this 24-week period (97.1 percent of patients in both treatment groups experienced an adverse event and 10.1 percent of Rituxan-treated patients compared with 14.3 percent of placebo-treated patients experienced a serious adverse event). There were more first infusion-associated adverse events in Rituxan-treated patients (78.3 percent compared to 40.0 percent in placebo-treated patients), the majority (> 95 percent) were mild to moderate in severity and managed with appropriate medical intervention. The second infusion associated adverse events were 20.9 percent in Rituxan-treated patients versus 40.0 percent in placebo-treated patients. The overall percent of patients with infection were comparable in Rituxan-treated patients (65.2 percent) and placebo-treated patients (62.9 percent). Efficacy and safety data in this study will be collected and analyzed through 48 weeks.

About MS and RRMS
MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in which the immune system is thought to attack the body's own myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. There are four types of MS with a wide variety of symptoms and different courses of disease progression. RRMS is the most common form of MS, accounting for approximately 65 percent of all cases. It is characterized by inflammatory events leading to loss of myelin (demyelination), variable levels of recovery between events, and irregular periods of remission. When recovery from relapse is incomplete, patients with RRMS gradually accumulate irreversible neurological damage and disability.

MS is the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.
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