Print Share

Comparing Avonex vs Copaxone

View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Avonex Remove Avonex from your drug comparison	Copaxone Remove Copaxone from your drug comparison	Add another drug to compare

Avonex interferon beta-1a

Copaxone glatiramer

Prescribed for Multiple Sclerosis. Avonex may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Copaxone is a combination of four amino acids that may be given to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis in adults. It has been shown to significantly reduce the number of relapses, but may be... View more

Prescription only

Ratings & Reviews

View all 38 reviews

View all 124 reviews

Drug Class

Interferons

Other immunostimulants

Side Effects

Common side effects include: flu-like symptoms, fever, headache, myalgia, nausea, and chills.

See the full Avonex side effects document.

Common side effects include: anxiety, chest pain, dyspnea, lymphadenopathy, palpitations, post-injection flare, urticaria, vasodilation, flushing, erythema at injection site, induration at injection site, inflammation at injection site, itching at injection site, and pain at injection site.

See the full Copaxone side effects document.

Pricing and Coupons

* Prices are without insurance

We could not find an exact match for this medicine. Try searching the Price Guide directly.

Quantity	30 mL
Dosage	20 mg/mL
Per Unit^*	$247.88
Cost^*	$7,436.52

View all Copaxone prices and generic prices

Get free Discount Card

Generic Availability

Yes

Dosage Form(s) Available

Intramuscular powder for injection

Subcutaneous solution

Brand Names

Other interferon beta-1a brands include: Avonex Pen, Avonex Prefilled Syringe, Rebif, Rebif Rebidose Other glatiramer brands include: Glatopa

Half Life

The half-life of a drug is the time taken for the plasma concentration of a drug to reduce to half its original value.

3 hours

1 hour

CSA Schedule**

View glossary of terms.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Pregnancy Category

Category C Risk cannot be ruled out

See the full Pregnancy Warnings document.

Category B No proven risk in humans

See the full Pregnancy Warnings document.

FDA Alerts

FDA Alerts (1)

N/A

Drug Interactions

A total of 298 drugs are known to interact with Avonex:

12 major drug interactions (68 brand and generic names)
285 moderate drug interactions (1262 brand and generic names)
1 minor drug interactions (3 brand and generic names)

A total of 1 drugs are known to interact with Copaxone:

1 major drug interactions (2 brand and generic names)

Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions

Interferon beta-1a may cause liver problems, and using it with other medications that can also... View more

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Disease Interactions

No known disease interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

First Approval Date

May 17, 1996

December 20, 1996

WADA Class

View World Anti-Doping Agency classifications.

N/A

More Information

** The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.

Further information

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

Medical Disclaimer