Background
vasculitis
VASCULITIS, GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS, MICROSCOPIC POLYANGIITIS, REMISSION
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) are the major subgroups of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV).Fixed-interval, repeat dose rituximab was superior to azathioprine as a maintenance strategy in a largely newly diagnosed AAV after induction with cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoid in the MAINRITSAN 1 trial.RITAZAREM was an international, randomised, controlled trial designed to assess whether fixed-interval rituximab was superior to azathioprine for the maintenance of remission following induction of remission with rituximab and glucocorticoids in patients with relapsing AAV. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that increased doses of rituximab would reduce the risk of relapse beyond the maintenance treatment period.