What is the difference between Inflectra and Remicade?

Q: What is the difference between Inflectra and Remicade?

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.

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on April 2, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Key Points

Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) is a biosimilar to Janssen’s Remicade (infliximab). Inflectra and Remicade belong to the class of drugs called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha 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. It is often used when other medicines have not been effective.
Both Inflectra and Remicade come as an intravenous (IV) powder for injection.

A biosimilar must have no clinically meaningful safety or effectiveness differences from the reference product, but it is not considered identical like a generic product.

Inflectra, approved in 2016, is manufactured by Celltrion-Pfizer, while Remicade, the reference product, was first approved in 1998 and is made by Janssen. Inflectra was the first biosimilar to Remicade.

How does infliximab work?

Infliximab blocks the protein called tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF alpha). People with certain inflammatory diseases, like psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis, have too much TNF-alpha. This can cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues of the body. Infliximab can help block the damage caused in your body by too much TNF-alpha.

Other infliximab biosimilar brands include:

Avsola (infliximab-axxq) from Amgen, approved Dec. 2019
Ixifi (infliximab-qbtx) from Pfizer, approved Dec. 2017
Renflexis (infliximab-abda) from Samsung Bioepis, approved April 2017

How do costs compare between Inflectra and Remicade?

Inflectra, as a biosimilar, is slightly less expensive than Remicade. Inflectra costs about $997 per 100 mg vial while Remicade costs about $1,229 for the same amount.

For additional information, see the overview: Comparing Inflectra vs Remicade

References

Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb). Product information. Pfizer Inc. New York, NY. Accessed April 12, 2021 at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/125544s009lbl.pdf
Remicade (infliximab). Product information. Janssen Biotech. Horsham, PA. Accessed April 12, 2021 at https://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product-monograph/prescribing-information/REMICADE-pi.pdf

What are monoclonal antibodies?

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.

What are biosimilar drugs and how do they compare to biologics?

A biosimilar is a biological product that is similar to a reference biologic (usually the originally approved product) and for which there are no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety, purity, and potency. The most recently approved biosimilar is Starjemza (ustekinumab-hmny), an interchangeable biosimilar to Stelara, cleared by the FDA on May 22, 2025.

What is the difference between Renflexis and Remicade?

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

What is the difference between Inflectra and Remicade?

Key Points

How does infliximab work?

How do costs compare between Inflectra and Remicade?

Read next

What are monoclonal antibodies?

What are biosimilar drugs and how do they compare to biologics?

What is the difference between Renflexis and Remicade?

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