This clinical trial is focused on studying the effects of a medication called rituximab on a condition known as polymyalgia rheumatica. Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disease that causes muscle pain and stiffness, especially in the shoulders. The study aims to see if rituximab can help reduce the need for glucocorticoids, which are a type of steroid medication often used to manage symptoms of this disease. The trial will compare the effects of rituximab to a placebo, which is a substance with no active medication.

The purpose of the study is to determine how effective rituximab is in treating patients with relapsing polymyalgia rheumatica, meaning the disease symptoms return after initially improving. Participants in the study will receive either rituximab or a placebo through an intravenous infusion, which means the medication is given directly into a vein. The study will monitor patients over a period of time to see if they can achieve remission, which means the symptoms of the disease are reduced or disappear, without needing glucocorticoids.

Throughout the study, researchers will observe how many patients can maintain remission without glucocorticoids at different time points, such as after one year and two years. They will also track any relapses, which are times when the disease symptoms return, and any side effects that may occur. The study will help to understand if rituximab can be a beneficial treatment option for people with polymyalgia rheumatica who experience relapses and need to reduce their use of glucocorticoids.