# Safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of rituximab for multicentric Castleman disease in Malawi

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $143,933

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dr. Matthew Painschab is applying for a Fogarty International Center K01 International Research Scientist
Development Award. Dr. Painschab has shown promise as a young investigator in global health but needs
further training to achieve research independence. This award will provide him with five years of mentored
research time and he will spend >75% of the award period based at UNC Project Malawi and Kamuzu Central
Hospital in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. His goal is to become an expert and independent researcher in
clinical trials and cost-effectiveness of cancer care in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specifically, multicentric
Castleman’s disease and other Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-related diseases. His primary
mentors for this award are Dr. Satish Gopal, MD, MPH (Primary LMIC-based Mentor, cancer clinical research
in SSA) and Dr. Stephanie Wheeler, PhD, MPH (Primary US-based Mentor, decision modeling and cost-
effectiveness analysis). Through a combination of mentorship, coursework, and practical experience, Dr.
Painschab proposes to accomplish the following training objectives: 1) advanced training in clinical trials
design and implementation; 2) advanced training in microcosting and cost-effectiveness modeling; and 3)
advanced training in KSHV pathobiology. This training plan will support a rigorous research plan in MCD, a life-
threatening lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by systemic inflammation and lymphadenopathy that is
strongly associated with KSHV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This disease is much more prevalent
in SSA because of a much higher prevalence of KSHV and HIV infections. Chemotherapy is rarely, if ever,
effective in preventing morbidity and mortality from this disease. However, in small studies in high income
countries, rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against CD20, a protein commonly found on B cells, has been
effective in inducing long-term remissions. In this application, we propose testing the safety and efficacy of
rituximab-based treatment for MCD (AIM 1) in a single arm, phase II study in Malawi. We will also conduct a
comprehensive microcosting study of treatment of MCD in Malawi and use outcomes from AIM 1 to establish a
Markov model (AIM 2) that we will use to analyze the cost-effectiveness of rituximab-based therapy. This
research will establish a unique prospective cohort of MCD patients and samples that can be leveraged for
future independent research awards to better understand this emerging HIV-associated comorbidity and
improve patient outcomes in both SSA and high-income countries.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10018127
- **Project number:** 5K01TW011470-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew Scott Painschab
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $143,933
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-16 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10018127

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10018127, Safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of rituximab for multicentric Castleman disease in Malawi (5K01TW011470-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10018127. Licensed CC0.

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