Rituximab
Rituximab, sold under the trade names Rituxan® and Mabthera®, is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of B cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a kind of cancer. The antibody binds to the CD20 antigen found on the surface of B cells, flagging them for destruction by the body's own immune system. This eliminates B cells (including the cancerous ones) from the body, allowing a new population of healthy B cells to develop from lymphoid stem cells.
Rituximab (Rituxan) has been found to be effective in the treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP). There are several clinical studies being performed at the present time (April, 2005).