Yuflyma

Pronunciation: yoo-fly’-mah
Generic name: adalimumab-aaty
Dosage forms: Yuflyma Auto-injector (40 mg/0.4mL), Yuflyma Prefilled Syringe with Safety Guard Injection (40 mg/0.4 mL), ... show all 3 dosage forms Yuflyma Prefilled Syringe Injection (40 mg/0.4 mL)
Drug class: TNF alfa inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 20, 2023.

What is Yuflyma?

Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty) is a biosimilar of Humira; it is a TNF alfa inhibitor used to reduce pain, inflammation, and skin symptoms in autoimmune conditions.  Yuflyma is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. 

Yuflyma is a biosimilar to Humira, biosimilars are biologic medicines that are a very close copy to the original product made by another company. It is not an interchangeable biosimilar. Yuflyma is available as a high-concentration and citrate-free formulation and can be given using a prefilled syringe or an autoinjector.

How does Yuflyma work?

Normally, your immune system defends your body against diseases by fighting harmful bacteria or viruses. However, in autoimmune disorders, the immune system becomes hyperactive and mistakenly attacks its own tissues, leading to symptoms of the autoimmune condition. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a protein that is involved in causing the inflammation. Yuflyma is a TNF blocker that inhibits TNF, helping to reduce pain, inflammation, and skin symptoms.

Related/similar drugs

Entyvio, Otezla, Sotyktu, prednisone, naproxen, methotrexate, triamcinolone ophthalmic

What is Yuflyma used for?

Yuflyma is FDA-approved to be used for: 

• rheumatoid arthritis (moderate to severe) in adults when used alone, with methotrexate, or with certain other medicines.
• juvenile idiopathic arthritis (moderate to severe polyarticular) for children 2 years and older, to be used alone or with methotrexate.
• psoriatic arthritis in adults to be used alone or with certain other medicines.
• ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adults.
• hidradenitis suppurativa (moderate to severe) in adults. 
• Crohn’s disease (moderate to severe) in adults and children 6 years of age and older. 
• ulcerative colitis (moderate to severe) in adults. It is not known if Yuflyma products are effective in people who stopped responding to or could not tolerate TNF-blocker medicines. 
• plaque psoriasis (chronic and severe) in adults who have the condition in many areas of their body and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light alone or with pills). 

Yuflyma side effects

Common Yuflyma side effects

Common Yuflyma side effects may include:

• headache;
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sinus pain, sneezing, sore throat;
• rash; or
• redness, bruising, itching, or swelling where the injection was given.

Serious Yuflyma side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Yuflyma: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of lymphoma:

• fever, swollen glands, night sweats, general feeling of illness;
• joint and muscle pain, skin rash, easy bruising or bleeding;
• pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, cold hands and feet;
• pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder; or
• loss of appetite, feeling full after eating only a small amount, weight loss.

Also call your doctor at once if you have:

• new or worsening psoriasis (raised, silvery flaking of the skin);
• a sore or bump on your skin that does not heal;
• symptoms of sepsis - confusion, chills, severe drowsiness, fast heartbeats, rapid breathing, feeling very ill;
• liver problems - body aches, tiredness, stomach pain, right-sided upper stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• lupus-like syndrome - joint pain or swelling, chest pain, shortness of breath, patchy skin color that worsens in sunlight;
• nerve problems - numbness, tingling, dizziness, vision problems, weakness in your arms or legs; or
• signs of tuberculosis - fever with ongoing cough, weight loss (fat or muscle).

Older adults may be more likely to develop infections or cancer while using Yuflyma.

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

Warnings 

Yuflyma affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections.

Before or during treatment with Yuflyma, tell your doctor if you have signs of infection such as fever, chills, aches, tiredness, cough, skin sores, diarrhea, or burning when you urinate.

Your doctor should test you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting to take Yuflyma and also monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment.

The chances of getting cancer may be increased for children and adults taking TNF-blockers.

Before taking this medicine

Before you start using Yuflyma, tell your doctor if you have signs of infection--fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, tiredness, cough, bloody mucus, skin sores, diarrhea, burning when you urinate, or feeling constantly tired.

Yuflyma should only be used in age groups for the specific conditions that Yuflyma is FDA-approved to treat. Children using Yuflyma should be current on all childhood immunizations before starting treatment.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• tuberculosis (or if anyone in your household has tuberculosis);
• a chronic infection;
• cancer;
• hepatitis B (Yuflyma can cause hepatitis B to come back or get worse);
• diabetes;
• heart failure;
• any numbness or tingling, or a nerve-muscle disorder such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barre syndrome;
• an allergy to latex rubber;
• if you are scheduled to have major surgery; or
• if you have recently received or are scheduled to receive any vaccine.

Tell your doctor where you live and if you have recently traveled or plan to travel. You may be exposed to infections that are common in certain areas of the world.

Yuflyma 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.

Pregnancy

It is not known whether Yuflyma will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Make sure any doctor caring for your newborn baby knows if you used Yuflyma while you were pregnant, and especially before your baby receives any vaccines.

Breastfeeding

It may not be safe to breastfeed a baby while using Yuflyma. Ask your doctor about any risks and the best way to feed your baby while on Yuflyma.

How should I use Yuflyma?

Use Yuflyma exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Yuflyma is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) using an autoinjector or a prefilled syringe.

The dose schedule for Yuflyma depends on the severity and the condition you are treating. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully.

A healthcare provider will teach you how to use Yuflyma by yourself properly. Do not use Yuflyma if you do not fully understand the instructions for proper use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Do not use this medicine if you have any signs of an infection. Call your doctor for instructions.

Prepare your injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not use it if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed color, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.

Leave the Auto-injector or Prefilled Syringe at room temperature 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for 15 to 30 minutes to allow it to warm up.  Do not warm the Prefilled Syringe using heat sources such as hot water or a microwave.

Choose an injection site. You may inject into the front of your thighs and your abdomen except for the 2 in (5 cm) around the belly button (navel). Rotate the injection site each time you give an injection. Each new injection site should be at least 1.2 in (3 cm) away from the injection site you used before.

Do NOT inject in the red, hard, tender, damaged, bruised, or scarred skin, and do NOT inject through your clothes.

Yuflyma affects your immune system so you may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Your doctor will need to examine you on a regular basis.

Use a needle and syringe only once, then place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container. Follow state or local laws about how to dispose of this container. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

Dosing information

The dose and frequency of Yuflyma given are dependent on age, severity, and condition treated. For more information on specific dosing schedules, click the link below.

Yuflyma is available as:

• Yuflyma Prefilled Auto-injector (Yuflyma AI): 40 mg/0.4 mL
• Yuflyma Prefilled syringe with safety guard: 40 mg/0.4 mL 
• Yuflyma Prefilled Syringe: 40 mg/0.8 mL

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the medicine as soon as you remember, and then go back to your regular injection schedule. Do not use extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.

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 using Yuflyma?

Do not inject into skin that is bruised, red, tender, or hard.

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using Yuflyma. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), or zoster (shingles).

What other drugs will affect Yuflyma?

Some drugs should not be used together with Yuflyma. Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with Yuflyma especially:

• abatacept, etanercept;
• anakinra;
• azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine; or
• certolizumab, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab.

Avoid the use of live vaccines.

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

Ingredients

Active ingredient: adalimumab-aaty 

Inactive ingredients: acetic acid, glycine, polysorbate 80, sodium acetate, and Water for Injection, USP.

Storage 

• Store this medicine in its original carton in a refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). 
• Do not freeze. If you are traveling, carefully follow all patient instructions for storing your medicine during travel. 
• Throw away if it has become frozen. 
• Do NOT shake.
• Avoid extreme heat or cold.
• When traveling, Yuflyma may be stored at room temperature up to a maximum of 77°F (25°C) for a period of up to 30 days, with protection from light. Yuflyma should be discarded if not used within the 30-day period. Record the date when  the medicine is first removed from the refrigerator in the spaces provided on the carton and dose pack.

Company

Manufactured by: CELLTRION, Inc., 23, Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 22014, Republic of Korea US License Number 1996.

Distributed by:

CELLTRION USA, Inc., 1 Evertrust Plaza Suite 1207, Jersey City, NJ 07302.

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Further information

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

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