Rituximab, a life-saving monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of blood cancers, is now available as a biosimilar through NCDconnect, ensuring quality, affordability, and access to targeted cancer therapies across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Why Access to Rituximab Matters
Cancer is an increasing burden in LMICs, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) et Burkitt lymphoma, which disproportionately affect children and young adults.
Rituximab is not a chemotherapy drug but a form of immunotherapy, offering a more targeted and less toxic approach to treating certain B-cell cancers.
Used either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, rituximab significantly improves survival outcomes for patients with:
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) et chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in adults
- Mature B-cell NHL et acute B-cell leukaemia in children (from 6 months of age)
Recent data published in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology show that event-free survival (EFS) rates exceeded 96% in some paediatric Burkitt lymphoma risk groups when rituximab was added to treatment regimens. Relapse rates were also significantly reduced compared to chemotherapy alone.
From WHO Essential List to National Action
Rituximab is listed in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) as a targeted therapy. It has also been adopted by at least 42 national EMLs, including:
- Uganda
- Senegal
- Rwanda
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Zimbabwe
Despite growing recognition, access remains limited across many LMIC health systems. A review of 138 national EMLs found that rituximab was the most commonly included biologic, yet many countries had no biologics listed at all. This absence on national EMLs often translates into limited prioritisation and underuse, impeding access to a medicine that is considered essential for treating certain blood cancers.
Why Quality Matters in Biologics and Biosimilars Access
Due to its structure based on living cells, Rituximab must meet strict quality standards to be safe and effective. Unlike traditional small-molecule medicines, biologics and biosimilars are sensitive to manufacturing conditions, storage, and transport. Variability in these factors can impact the medicine’s clinical performance and patient safety.
In some LMICs, limited regulatory oversight and informal procurement channels have led to substandard rituximab entering the market. In response, healthcare providers have sometimes stopped using the medicine altogether, not due to cost, but due to concerns around quality and reliability.
That is why it is critical to procure rituximab only from trusted, quality-assured biosimilar sources. For a broader discussion on biologic and biosimilar quality and market dynamics, read our article Expanding Access to Quality Biologics in LMICs.
Expanding Access Through NCDconnect
At NCDconnect, our mission is to bridge the access gap in Noncommunicable disease treatment by facilitating the procurement of high-quality, cost-effective, and appropriate health products, including essential medicines like rituximab.
The rituximab available on our platform is an SRA/WLA-approved biosimilar, ensuring that procurement agents and Ministries of Health can confidently source a safe, effective, and quality-assured product. For more details on our QA processes around biologics and biosimilars, read our article Expanding Access to Quality Biologics in LMICs.
Benefits of procuring rituximab through NCDconnect:
- Fair pricing through our not-for-profit model
- Streamlined procurement processes for essential and targeted NCD therapies
- Access to complete treatment regimens, including compatible cytotoxic medicines and corticosteroids such as cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone, also available via NCDconnect
- Reliable delivery to mitigate stockouts and delays
The Case for Investment in Biologic and Biosimilar Therapies
To be effective, national cancer strategies must go beyond basic chemotherapy and include biologics like rituximab. Studies confirm that adding biologics improves survival, reduces relapse, and may lower long-term treatment costs by avoiding complications and retreatment.
However, introducing biologics requires:
- EML updates and financing strategies
- Streamlined regulatory registration and forecasting
- Cross-programmatic procurement partnerships
A Step Toward More Equitable Cancer Care
The inclusion of rituximab in NCDconnect’s portfolio reflects our broader commitment to:
- Expand access to high-impact NCD treatments
- Support the implementation of national cancer control plans (NCCPs)
- Enable consolidated, scalable procurement of both essential and innovative products
Securing access to rituximab enables health systems to move from basic availability toward best practice in cancer care.