| Rheumatoid Arthritis
Actemra vs Vimovo
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for rheumatoid arthritis.Deep comparison between: Actemra vs Vimovo 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 signalsVimovo has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Actemra based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Vimovo but not Actemra, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Actemra
Vimovo
At A Glance
IV infusion or SC injection
Every 4 weeks (IV) or Every week to Every other week (SC)
IL-6 receptor antagonist
Oral
Twice daily
NSAID + Proton Pump Inhibitor
Indications
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Lung disease with systemic sclerosis
- Juvenile polyarthritis
- Systemic onset juvenile chronic arthritis
- Cytokine Release Syndrome
- COVID-19 Virus Disease
- Degenerative polyarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Juvenile arthritis
Dosing
Rheumatoid Arthritis IV: 4 mg/kg every 4 weeks, increase to 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks based on response; SC: 162 mg every other week (for <100 kg) or every week (for >=100 kg), increase to every week based on response.
Giant Cell Arteritis IV: 6 mg/kg every 4 weeks with tapering glucocorticoids; SC: 162 mg every week with tapering glucocorticoids (may use every other week based on clinical considerations).
Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease SC: 162 mg every week.
Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis IV: 10 mg/kg every 4 weeks (<30 kg) or 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks (>=30 kg); SC: 162 mg every 3 weeks (<30 kg) or every 2 weeks (>=30 kg).
Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis IV: 12 mg/kg every 2 weeks (<30 kg) or 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks (>=30 kg); SC: 162 mg every 2 weeks (<30 kg) or every week (>=30 kg).
Cytokine Release Syndrome IV: 12 mg/kg (<30 kg) or 8 mg/kg (>=30 kg) as single dose, alone or with corticosteroids; up to 3 additional doses at least 8 hours apart if no improvement.
COVID-19 IV: 12 mg/kg (<30 kg) or 8 mg/kg (>=30 kg) as single 60-minute infusion; one additional dose at least 8 hours later if clinical signs worsen or do not improve.
Degenerative polyarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis Adults: one tablet (375 mg or 500 mg naproxen/20 mg esomeprazole) twice daily, taken orally at least 30 minutes before meals; use lowest effective naproxen dose for shortest duration.
Juvenile arthritis Adolescents >=12 years and >50 kg: one tablet (375 mg or 500 mg naproxen/20 mg esomeprazole) twice daily; 38 kg to <50 kg: one tablet (375 mg naproxen/20 mg esomeprazole) twice daily, taken at least 30 minutes before meals.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to tocilizumab
- Known hypersensitivity to naproxen, esomeprazole magnesium, substituted benzimidazoles, or any components of the drug product, including omeprazole
- History of asthma, urticaria, or allergic-type reactions after taking aspirin or other NSAIDs
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
- Concomitant use of rilpivirine-containing products
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=5%) Upper respiratory tract infections, nasopharyngitis, headache, hypertension, increased ALT, injection site reactions (SC only).
Serious Serious infections (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, cellulitis, herpes zoster, gastroenteritis, diverticulitis, sepsis, bacterial arthritis), gastrointestinal perforations, hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis.
Postmarketing Fatal anaphylaxis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS), pancreatitis, drug-induced liver injury, hepatitis, hepatic failure, jaundice, hypofibrinogenemia.
Most common (>2%) Gastritis, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, flatulence, headache, urinary tract infection, dysgeusia
Serious Cardiovascular thrombotic events, GI bleeding/ulceration/perforation, hepatotoxicity, hypertension, heart failure and edema, renal toxicity and hyperkalemia, anaphylactic reactions, serious skin reactions, DRESS, fetal toxicity, hematologic toxicity
Postmarketing Gait disturbance, abdominal distension, hematochezia, joint swelling, muscle spasms, renal tubular necrosis, angioedema, aplastic anemia, hepatitis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, hypomagnesemia, cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Pharmacology
Tocilizumab is a humanized IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody that binds to soluble and membrane-bound IL-6 receptors, inhibiting IL-6-mediated signaling involved in inflammatory and immune processes.
VIMOVO is a fixed-dose combination of naproxen, an NSAID that inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) to reduce prostaglandin synthesis with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects, and esomeprazole magnesium, a proton pump inhibitor that suppresses gastric acid secretion by inhibiting the H+/K+-ATPase in the gastric parietal cell to reduce naproxen-associated gastric ulcer risk.
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Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Actemra
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
Vimovo
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (6/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (1/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Actemra
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (4/8) · Step Therapy (4/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Vimovo
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (1/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Humana
Actemra
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (0/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (0/3)
Vimovo
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
No savings programs available for Actemra.
No savings programs available for Vimovo.
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.