What is Reditux 500 mg injection?
Reditux 500 mg Injection is made by Dr. Reddy. Its active ingredient is rituximab, given as an injection into the vein. It belongs to a drug class called monoclonal antibodies. These are the lab-made proteins that stick onto a specific targets on the cancer cells. Reditux 500 mg Injection is mainly for conditions like blood cancers. It is also used for rheumatoid arthritis that has not improved with standard treatment.
How does Rituximab 500 mg injection works?
Some cancer infections start in the blood, not in an organ. A type of white blood cell called a B-cell begins to divide without stopping. This start to over power out healthy blood cells and causes swollen lymph nodes, tiredness, and repeated infections. Doctors call this non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a cause of faulty immune cells can also attack your own joints in rheumatoid arthritis. This causes pain and swelling that does not go away with rest.
Rituximab looks for a marker called CD20, found on the surface of B-cells. Once it finds this marker, it attaches itself to the B-cell. This flags the cell for your immune system to destroy. Both cancerous and normal B-cells carry this marker. So rituximab clears out the harmful cells along with some healthy ones. Your body then makes new healthy B-cells over time. In rheumatoid arthritis, clearing out these B-cells reduces the immune attack on your joints.
Side Effects
Most side effects show up during or right after the infusion, since the drug is given directly into the vein.
- Fever and chills during the drip
- Feeling sick or throwing up
- Headache
- Skin rash or itching
- Low blood pressure
- Tiredness for a day or two after
- Low white blood cell count, raising infection risk
Call your doctor right away if you get chest pain, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face and throat during the infusion. These need urgent care.
Who Should Avoid This Injection?
- People with an active, serious infection should not take this injection until it clears up.
- Anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to rituximab in the past should avoid it.
- Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should discuss this with their doctor first. The drug crosses into the baby’s blood.
- People with a history of hepatitis B need blood tests before starting, since rituximab can reactivate the virus.
How to store this injection?
- Keep the vial in the fridge between 2 – 8°C, away from light.
- Do not freeze it.
- Once a vial is opened and mixed for use, give it the same day.
- Do not reuse any leftover solution.
Reditux 500 mg Injection Price and Availability
Reditux 500 mg Injection is available at 9800 per vial through IVFInjection. Patients can get it delivered in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. Cold chain packaging keeps the injection at the right temperature during transit. Most patients order it on their oncologist’s or rheumatologist’s advice, not for home use.
Patients starting rituximab often ask why the first infusion takes longer than the next ones. Doctors run it slowly at first, to watch for reactions. Once your body handles it well, they speed up the infusion.
