Lymphoma drug used on skin disorders

DAYTON, Ohio, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The drug rituximab, used to treat lymphoma, is being used by dermatologists to treat various dangerous skin diseases, U.S. researchers said.

Dr. Michael P. Heffernan, affiliated with Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, said that rituximab was originally developed as the standard therapy in treating aggressive lymphomas, but it is showing increased non-cancer use.

The study, published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, reviewed the off-label uses of rituximab in dermatology and found that it successfully treated patients with various kinds of blistering skin disease, including pemphigus vulgaris, dermatomyositis and paraneoplastic pemphigus.

The findings were also presented at the 64th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.