| Multiple Sclerosis
Avonex vs Lemtrada
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for multiple sclerosis.Deep comparison between: Avonex vs Lemtrada with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsLemtrada has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Avonex based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Lemtrada but not Avonex, including UnitedHealthcare
Sign up to reveal the full AI analysis
Category
Avonex
Lemtrada
At A Glance
IM injection
Once weekly
Interferon beta
IV infusion
Annual treatment courses
Anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody
Indications
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple Sclerosis
Dosing
Multiple Sclerosis 30 micrograms once weekly by IM injection; may titrate starting at 7.5 micrograms in week 1, increasing by 7.5 micrograms weekly for 3 weeks to reach the recommended 30 microgram dose.
Multiple Sclerosis First course: 12 mg/day IV infusion on 5 consecutive days; second course: 12 mg/day on 3 consecutive days 12 months after first course; subsequent courses: 12 mg/day on 3 consecutive days as needed, at least 12 months after the last prior dose. Premedicate with high-dose corticosteroids for the first 3 days of each course; administer antiviral prophylaxis starting on the first day of each course for a minimum of 2 months or until CD4+ count >= 200 cells/microliter.
Contraindications
- History of hypersensitivity to natural or recombinant interferon beta or any other component of the formulation
- History of hypersensitivity to albumin (human) [lyophilized vial formulation only]
- Known hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction to alemtuzumab or any excipient
- HIV infection
- Active infection
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=5% more than placebo) Flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, myalgia, asthenia
Serious Depression, hepatic injury, anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, injection site necrosis, congestive heart failure, decreased peripheral blood counts, thrombotic microangiopathy, pulmonary arterial hypertension, seizures, autoimmune disorders
Postmarketing Hemolytic anemia, menorrhagia and metrorrhagia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, rash including vesicular rash, injection site abscess or cellulitis
Most common (>=10%) Rash, headache, pyrexia, nasopharyngitis, nausea, urinary tract infection, fatigue, insomnia, upper respiratory tract infection, herpes viral infection, urticaria, pruritus, thyroid gland disorders, fungal infection, arthralgia, pain in extremity, back pain, diarrhea, sinusitis, oropharyngeal pain, paresthesia, dizziness, abdominal pain, flushing, vomiting
Serious Autoimmunity, infusion reactions, stroke and cervicocephalic arterial dissection, malignancies, immune thrombocytopenia, glomerular nephropathies including anti-GBM disease, thyroid disorders, other autoimmune cytopenias, autoimmune hepatitis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, adult onset Still's disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune encephalitis, acquired hemophilia A, immune-mediated colitis, infections, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, acute acalculous cholecystitis, pneumonitis
Postmarketing Acquired hemophilia A, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, stroke (hemorrhagic and ischemic), cervicocephalic arterial dissection, cholecystitis, immune-mediated colitis, autoimmune hepatitis, viral hepatitis, opportunistic infections, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, vasculitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, sarcoidosis, adult onset Still's disease, autoimmune encephalitis, myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage, alopecia
Pharmacology
Interferon beta-1a is a recombinant type I interferon that binds to specific receptors on human cell surfaces, initiating a cascade of intracellular events leading to expression of interferon-induced gene products; its mechanism of action in multiple sclerosis is unknown.
Alemtuzumab is a humanized IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody that binds to CD52, a cell surface antigen on T and B lymphocytes, natural killer cells, monocytes, and macrophages, resulting in antibody-dependent cellular cytolysis and complement-mediated lysis; the precise mechanism by which this exerts therapeutic effects in MS is unknown.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Avonex
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (9/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
Lemtrada
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Avonex
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (6/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (4/8)
Lemtrada
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Humana
Avonex
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (1/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (1/3)
Lemtrada
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (3/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
Cost estimate not availableAccessia Health: Multiple Sclerosis - Private Insurance: Waitlist
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
Cost estimate not availableAccessia Health: Multiple Sclerosis - Private Insurance: Waitlist
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
Compare Other Drugs
Let us handle your prior authsJust enter your patient's info and we'll:
- Verify eligibility with the payer.
- Pull the right PA forms directly from the payer.
- Submit, track & send live updates to your dashboard.
Free to start · HIPAA compliant
Next Steps for Your Patient
AvonexView full Avonex profile
LemtradaView full Lemtrada profile
Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.