Chen DM, Odueyungbo A, Csinady E, et al. - Through utilizing data gathered in a French investigator-initiated, phase III, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, researchers tested the safety and effectiveness of rituximab and sought approval from health authorities for its use in pemphigus vulgaris (PV). According to disease severity, individuals were randomized to rituximab plus 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg/day prednisone tapered over 3 or 6 months or 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg/day prednisone-alone tapered over 12 or 18 months, respectively. The authors discovered that rituximab plus short-term prednisone was more effective than prednisone alone in individuals with moderate to severe PV. Rituximab-treated patients were less exposed to corticosteroids (CS) and less likely to have serious or life-threatening CS-related adverse events. For patients with moderate to severe PV, no new safety issues with rituximab have been reported.