Comparative Inhibitory Effects of Bepotastine and Diphenhydramine on Rituximab-Induced Infusion Reactions.

Infusion-related reaction (IRR) is a common adverse event induced by rituximab. Although first-generation histamine 1 receptor antagonists (H1RAs) are commonly used to prevent IRR, evidence on IRR suppression by the second-generation H1RA bepotastine is scarce. In this study, we assessed the inhibitory effects of bepotastine on rituximab-induced IRR and compared them with those of the first-generation H1RA diphenhydramine. We retrospectively evaluated IRR incidence in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who received their first dose of rituximab. The incidence of any grade IRR was 9.8