Rituximab is an outlier among targeted immune-modifying rheumatological therapies as it alone is associated with an increased risk of death in patients who develop COVID-19, a new study shows.

The UK cohort study of more than 17 million patients has found use of rituximab for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is linked to a 68% increased risk of death compared with standard systemic therapy.

The findings also link the monoclonal antibody — as well as drugs in the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor class — to higher rates of hospital admission following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The University of Oxford-led team say their findings could inform future booster vaccination programs and help clinicians “engaging in shared decision making and communication of risk”.