Rituxan (rituximab), the blockbuster cancer drug sold by Genentech Inc. and Biogen-Idec, reduced brain lesions and their relapse in multiple sclerosis patients, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The UCSF researchers, led by Stephen Hauser, observed 104 patients for a 48-week period. The study showed that only 20% of the patients who received Rituxan suffered from a relapse, as compared to 40% of those who received placebo.