What are the side effects of Ilumya?
The most common side effects of Ilumya are:
- upper respiratory infections (14% Ilumya vs. 12% placebo),
- injection site reactions (3% Ilumya vs. 2% placebo), and
- diarrhea (2% Ilumya vs. 1% placebo).
Upper respiratory infections include nasopharyngitis (common cold), upper respiratory tract infection, viral upper respiratory tract infection, and pharyngitis. Injection site reactions may involve itching, pain, redness, swelling, bruising, hematoma (a solid blood clot under the skin), and bleeding.
Ilumya may also cause serious side effects such as allergic reactions with angioedema (swelling in the lower layers of the skin, often in the face, tongue, throat, arms, or legs), urticaria (hives), and infections.
Before starting Ilumya, patients should be evaluated for tuberculosis. If a person has latent tuberculosis, treatment for tuberculosis should be initiated before Ilumya is started in patients with a history of latent or active tuberculosis in whom an adequate course of treatment cannot be confirmed. Anybody with a prior history of TB should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis during and after treatment. In clinical trials, the difference in frequency of infections between the Ilumya group and the placebo group was less than 1%. Take into consideration the infection risk when planning for surgery.
There is also the potential for immunogenicity and antibody formation. Up to week 64, approximately 6.5% of people treated with Ilumya developed antibodies to it; 40% of these antibodies were classified as neutralizing.
In March 2018, the FDA approved Ilumya (tildrakizumab-asmn), a humanized interleukin-23 p19 subunit antagonist (anti-IL-23p19) monoclonal antibody for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic treatment or phototherapy (ultraviolet or UV light).
Before starting treatment with Ilumya, ensure all patients have received all their appropriate immunizations for their age as recommended by National guidelines. It is important people administered Ilumya DO NOT receive live vaccines.
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Read next
How does Ilumya compare to other treatments?
There have been few comparative trials comparing Ilumya to other biologics used for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis. The joint AAD and NPF guidelines conclude that all 11 biologics have grade A evidence for efficacy as monotherapy in plaque psoriasis and a person’s medical and social should be taken into account when choosing a biologic. Certain biologics may be preferred in people who are overweight because they use weight-based dosing (such as infliximab or Stelara), whereas others may be preferred in those with poor compliance because they are dosed every 12 weeks (such as Stelara, Skyrizi or Ilumya). Continue reading
How does Ilumya work to treat psoriasis?
Ilumya works by binding selectively to interleukin-23 (IL-23) which is a naturally occurring cytokine. IL-23 plays a key role in promoting inflammation and regulating other cytokines (such as IL-17) and inflammatory substances, such as TNF-α3-7. By blocking the effects of IL-23, Ilumya helps control the release of IL-17 and TNF-α, which reduces inflammation associated with psoriasis. It also decreases how many inflammatory cells are present within psoriatic lesions, helps prevent plaque formation, and resolves tissue damage. Continue reading
How long does it take Ilumya to work?
It takes approximately 12 weeks for Ilumya to start working with nearly 60% of people experiencing a 75% reduction in the severity of their psoriasis within that time; however, it may take over a year for the full benefits to be seen. Continue reading
See also:
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Drug information
- Ilumya Information for Consumers
- Ilumya prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Ilumya (detailed)
- Ilumya user reviews (8)
Related support groups
- Ilumya (10 questions, 3 members)
- Plaque Psoriasis (96 questions, 69 members)