Rashid H, Meijer JM, Bolling MC, et al. - Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, offered 74% remission rate in patients with pemphigoid along with a steroid-sparing benefit in this study. Also, it conferred a significant improvement of quality of life and reduction in treatment burden.

• A single-center retrospective observational study of 7 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) and 16 with mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) who were treated with rituximab between November 2016 and January 2020 and who have previously failed conventional immunosuppressive therapies.

• Rituximab resulted in disease control in 19 patients (83%), of which 6 with BP (86%) and 13 with MMP (81%), and led to achievement of remission (partial or complete) in 17 patients (74%), 5 with BP (71%) and 12 with MMP (75%).

• A reduction in the Dermatology Life Quality Index score, Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life score, and in the Hospital Anxiety Scale score was evident with rituximab treatment.

• During rituximab treatment, decrease in concomitant immunosuppression or immunomodulators was seen, especially prednisone use reduced from 78% to 26%.

• Infections occurred in most of the patients but none were severe, and the 1-year mortality was 0%.

• The findings back the rituximab-induced benefits on clinical response in pemphigoid patients, in line with previous studies.