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Remicade

Generic name: infliximabin-FLIX-ih-mab ]
Drug classes: Antirheumatics, TNF alfa inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Mar 1, 2024.

What is Remicade?

Remicade reduces the effects of a substance in the body that can cause inflammation.

Remicade is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and severe or disabling plaque psoriasis in adults.

Remicade is also used to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in adults and children at least 6 years old.

Infliximab is often used when other medicines have not been effective.

Warnings

You should not use Remicade if you are allergic to infliximab, or if you are also being treated with anakinra (Kineret) or abatacept (Orencia).

Using Remicade may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, including a rare fast-growing type of lymphoma that can be fatal. Ask your doctor about your specific risk.

Remicade affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Before you start using Remicade, your doctor may perform tests to make sure you do not have certain infections. Call your doctor if you have a fever, tiredness, flu symptoms, cough, or skin pain.

Before taking this medicine

Tell your doctor if you have ever had tuberculosis (TB), or anyone in your household has tuberculosis. Also tell your doctor if you have recently traveled. Tuberculosis and some fungal infections are more common in certain parts of the world, and you may have been exposed during travel.

To make sure Remicade is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

Make sure your child is current on all vaccines before he or she starts treatment with Remicade.

Remicade may cause a rare type of lymphoma (cancer) of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow that can be fatal. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young men with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. However, anyone with an inflammatory autoimmune disorder may have a higher risk of lymphoma. Talk with your doctor about your own risk.

Remicade may cause other types of cancer, such as skin cancer or cancer of the cervix. Ask your doctor about this risk.

If you use infliximab while you are pregnant, make sure any doctor caring for your new baby knows that you used the medicine during pregnancy. Being exposed to infliximab in the womb could affect your baby's vaccination schedule during the first 6 months of life.

You should not breastfeed while you are receiving infliximab.

Remicade is not for use in children younger than 6 years old.

How is Remicade given?

Before you start treatment with Remicade, your doctor may perform tests to make sure you do not have tuberculosis or other infections.

Remicade is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

This medicine must be given slowly, and the infusion can take at least 2 hours to complete.

You may be watched closely after receiving infliximab, to make sure the medicine has not caused any serious side effects.

Infliximab affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Your doctor will need to examine you on a regular basis, and you may need frequent TB tests.

Serious infections may be more likely in older adults.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using Remicade.

If you've ever had hepatitis B, using infliximab can cause this virus to become active or get worse. You may need frequent liver function tests while using this medicine and for several months after you stop.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your Remicade injection.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while receiving Remicade?

Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding injury.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using infliximab, or you could develop a serious infection. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and zoster (shingles).

Remicade side effects

Some side effects may occur during the injection. Tell your caregiver if you feel dizzy, nauseated, light-headed, itchy or tingly, short of breath, or have a headache, fever, chills, muscle or joint pain, pain or tightness in your throat, chest pain, or trouble swallowing during the injection. Infusion reactions may also occur within 1 or 2 hours after injection.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Remicade: hives; chest pain, difficult breathing; fever, chills, severe dizziness; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with Remicade. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, extreme tiredness, flu symptoms, cough, or skin symptoms (pain, warmth, or redness).

Also call your doctor if you have:

Serious infections may be more likely in adults who are 65 years or older.

Common Remicade side effects may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Remicade?

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with infliximab, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Popular FAQ

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are man-made proteins that mimic the natural antibodies produced by our immune systems. Monoclonal antibodies can be formulated into medicines to treat various types of illnesses, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. Continue reading

A biosimilar is a biological product that is similar to a reference biologic (usually the original product) and for which there are no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety, purity, and potency. As an example, the biosimilar Amjevita (adalimumab-atto) was approved as the first biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab). Continue reading

Infliximab works by binding specifically to a protein called TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), which is released by white blood cells as part of our body’s immune response to infection or foreign substances. Overproduction of TNF-α can cause inflammation which can damage tissues, bones, and cartilage, and also cell death. When infliximab binds to TNF-α, it blocks its effects, and this reduces inflammation. Increased levels of TNF-alfa have been found in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Continue reading

Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) is a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab). They belong to the same class of drugs called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alfa inhibitors. Inflectra can be prescribed for the same uses as Remicade, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis. Continue reading

Renflexis (infliximab-abda) is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that is biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab). A biosimilar has no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety and effectiveness from the reference product.

Renflexis is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion similar to Remicade, and is used for the same conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriatic arthritis. Biosimilars may lead to cost-savings due to a lower price and are preferred by some insurance companies. Continue reading

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Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Remicade only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.