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Cost‐effectiveness of rituximab in refractory cold agglutinin disease
Author(s) -
PANWAR U.,
MATHEWS C.,
CULLIS J. O.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of laboratory hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.705
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1751-553X
pISSN - 1751-5521
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-553x.2007.00958.x
Subject(s) - rituximab , haemolysis , medicine , refractory (planetary science) , cold agglutinin disease , immunology , cold agglutinin , lymphoproliferative disorders , disease , intensive care medicine , antibody , autoimmune hemolytic anemia , lymphoma , biology , astrobiology
Summary Cold haemagglutinin disease (CHAD) is an uncommon condition frequently associated with B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders and is refractory to conventional treatments used in autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Rituximab has been used in this condition with favourable and lasting responses. Cost has been a major limitation to its use in such indication. We present cost‐effectiveness analysis of the use of rituximab in two patients with CHAD. Rituximab successfully controlled haemolysis in both cases of CHAD and was found to be cost‐effective through reducing transfusion needs.