Real-World Multicenter Cohort Study of Inebilizumab vs Low-Dose Rituximab in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inebilizumab and rituximab (RTX) are anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 B cell-depleting antibodies, respectively. They are both used in the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). However, limited data on both drugs exist regarding real-world clinical applications. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of inebilizumab vs low-dose RTX in NMOSD patients through a retrospective-prospective multicenter analysis. METHODS: This study collected data on aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G seropositive NMOSD patients from 6 cities in China among those receiving either inebilizumab or low-dose RTX (500 mg), with a 1-year follow-up. Analyses assessed outcomes using inverse probability of treatment weighting and doubly robust models. RESULTS: = 0.003). DISCUSSION: In this short-term study, inebilizumab demonstrated greater efficacy in reducing relapse risk, along with significantly lower rates of key adverse events, compared with low-dose RTX in patients with NMOSD. These findings support the use of inebilizumab as an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic option in a broader NMOSD population. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This short-term study with a 12-month observation period provides Class III evidence that in patients with NMOSD, inebilizumab is more effective than low-dose RTX in reducing relapses.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1212/nxi.0000000000200586
Primary Topic
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Real-World Multicenter Cohort Study of Inebilizumab vs Low-Dose Rituximab in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

Bo Li, Hao Qu, Jinyu Jiang, Ke Xu et al.
Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
article

Real-World Multicenter Cohort Study of Inebilizumab vs Low-Dose Rituximab in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

Bo Li, Hao Qu, Jinyu Jiang, Ke Xu, He Zhao, Zhizhong Li, Lei Wu, Qiao Xu, Yi-Xiang Wang, X L Yang, Y Y Li, Wen Ya Wang, Jinzhou Feng, Linming Zhang, Kai Zhou, Jingyuan Li, Haibing Xiao, Peng Zheng, Xinyue Qin, Xinyi Duan, Dehui Huang, Gang Yu
article en

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inebilizumab and rituximab (RTX) are anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 B cell-depleting antibodies, respectively. They are both used in the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). However, limited data on both drugs exist regarding real-world clinical applications. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of inebilizumab vs low-dose RTX in NMOSD patients through a retrospective-prospective multicenter analysis. METHODS: This study collected data on aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G seropositive NMOSD patients from 6 cities in China among those receiving either inebilizumab or low-dose RTX (500 mg), with a 1-year follow-up. Analyses assessed outcomes using inverse probability of treatment weighting and doubly robust models. RESULTS: = 0.003). DISCUSSION: In this short-term study, inebilizumab demonstrated greater efficacy in reducing relapse risk, along with significantly lower rates of key adverse events, compared with low-dose RTX in patients with NMOSD. These findings support the use of inebilizumab as an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic option in a broader NMOSD population. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This short-term study with a 12-month observation period provides Class III evidence that in patients with NMOSD, inebilizumab is more effective than low-dose RTX in reducing relapses.

Neurology Neuroimmunology & NeuroinflammationVol. 13(4)
Hebei Medical University (CN), Army Medical University (CN), Shenzhen University (CN), Kunming Medical University (CN), Chinese PLA General Hospital (CN), University Town of Shenzhen (CN), Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University (CN), Hebei Meteorological Bureau (CN), Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (ES), Xinqiao Hospital (CN), First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (CN), The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (CN), University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital (CN), Shenzhen University Health Science Center (CN), Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital (CN), Chongqing Medical University (CN), University of Hong Kong (HK)
National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, Beijing Medical and Health Foundation
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.