Martin Bradley discusses the NHS England commissioning policy on eculizumab and rituximab for the management of potentially fatal complications of blood transfusion
In a recent commissioning policy, NHS England has commissioned eculizumab and rituximab for the management of delayed haemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTR) and hyperhaemolysis (HH), and rituximab for the prevention of these potentially life-threatening conditions. This article reviews the background to these rare complications of blood transfusion, and the evidence and rationale for their treatment using eculizumab and rituximab.