Hepatitis B reactivation warnings added to drugs Arzerra, Rituxan

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new black box warnings for potentially fatal reactivation of hepatitis B viruses (HBV) were added to two drugs – one an immune suppressant and the other an anti-cancer medication. The warnings will be added to the labels of Arzerra (ofatumumab) and Rituxan (rituximab). Arzerra is used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in patients who have further disease after treatment with the anti-cancer drugs fludarabine and alemtuzumab. Rituxan is used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and CLL. It is also used to treat other medical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyanglitis, and microscopic ... Read More