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Olav Mella speaks about Rituximab and the future for ME patients

Cheshire

Senior Member
Messages
1,129
Didn't know where to post with all those threads about Fluge and Mella's work....

Prime minister of Norway attended an event organised by the Oslo & Akershus branch of the Norwegian Myalgic Encephalopathy Association to support the Rituximab trial.

She said:
“We haven’t had anything to offer to this group, and they have been met with negligence in the health care system. This is because there have been a lot of prejudices towards this illness; that this is the result of a psychologically, almost wanted illness”,

Solberg said in her interview to Norwegian national television, NRK. “It really is a scandal. The patients have been met with a lack of respect just because we haven’t had enough knowledge. The worst thing is that we haven’t worked very hard to get this knowledge either. It is important that the health care system make research on ME a priority”.

Read all there: https://aprescriptionforme.wordpres...ay-pm-gave-opening-speech-at-awareness-event/
 

medfeb

Senior Member
Messages
491
Deleder2k - just saw this. Interesting. Is all of Perveresely Dark sub-titled or just the trailer?

Cheshire - great quote from Prime Minister. Thank you for posting
 

cigana

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
Location
UK
Prime minister of Norway attended an event organised by the Oslo & Akershus branch of the Norwegian Myalgic Encephalopathy Association to support the Rituximab trial.

She said:

“We haven’t had anything to offer to this group, and they have been met with negligence in the health care system. This is because there have been a lot of prejudices towards this illness; that this is the result of a psychologically, almost wanted illness”,

Solberg said in her interview to Norwegian national television, NRK. “It really is a scandal. The patients have been met with a lack of respect just because we haven’t had enough knowledge. The worst thing is that we haven’t worked very hard to get this knowledge either. It is important that the health care system make research on ME a priority”.
WOW...I can't believe those words came out of a PRIME MINISTER's mouth...
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Can someone remind me, please, what paper it is that Fluge & Mella have coming out soon about rituximab that was mentioned at the IiME conference? If memory serves (and it generally doesn't) it was some sort of continuation of the original trial?
 

cigana

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
Location
UK
Can someone remind me, please, what paper it is that Fluge & Mella have coming out soon about rituximab that was mentioned at the IiME conference? If memory serves (and it generally doesn't) it was some sort of continuation of the original trial?
See Deleder2k's reply to my question here (under the "2015" title).
 

deleder2k

Senior Member
Messages
1,129
2009

First Rituximab study published: Clinical impact of B-cell depletion with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary case series

2011:

Phase 2 with double-blinded placebo-controlled study published with 30 patients: Benefit from B-lymphocyte depletion using the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in chronic fatigue syndrome. A double-blind and placebo-controlled study

2 infusions of Rituximab two weeks apart. Significant effect from 67% in the Rituximab group and 13% in the placebo-group.

2015:

A new phase 2 study will be published in a few weeks or months. 28 patients received Rituximab. No placebo-group. 6 infusions on day 0, day 14, after 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 15 months. Data from a grant application shows a response rate that looks similar to the previous study published in 2011. Many more in remission 1-2 years after final infusions compared to the last study in 2011. Probably due to prolonged B-cell depletion (6 infusions versus 2).


Late 2017/early 2018:

A blinded, placebo-controlled multi-center study with 152 patients. First patients received infusions on the 27th of October 2014. Last patient is yet to receive first infusion. Looks like the study is over in May 2017. Will probably have to wait until late 2017 or early 2018 for publishing.



Source and more information: B-lymphocyte Depletion Using Rituximab in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalopathy (CFS/ME). A Randomized Phase-III Study. (RituxME)

They have also carried out an open Rituximab pilot study on patients with severe ME. It is unpublished as of 2015, and will probably not be published. My understanding is that the experience is that Rituximab doesn't produce the same effect for those who suffer from severe ME. Some had an effect, while others were classified as non-responders.


They are also carrying out a study on cyclophosphamide after a small pilot study showed a major effect in 2/3 subjects. The study has just begun and it will probably be finished before the phase 3 Rituximab study due to the early reponse rate compared to B-cell depletion.