| Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cimzia vs Rituxan

Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for rheumatoid arthritis.

Deep comparison between: Cimzia vs Rituxan 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 signalsRituxan has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Cimzia based on FDA-approved prescribing information

Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Rituxan but not Cimzia, including UnitedHealthcare

Category

Cimzia

Rituxan

At A Glance

RouteSC injection

FrequencyEvery 2-4 weeks

ClassTNF-alpha inhibitor

RouteIV infusion

ClassAnti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

Indications

Crohn Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Juvenile polyarthritis
Arthritis, Psoriatic
Ankylosing spondylitis
Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis
Psoriasis vulgaris

Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Microscopic Polyarteritis
Pemphigus Vulgaris
Acute lymphocytic leukemia

Dosing

Crohn Disease 400 mg SC (two 200 mg injections) at Weeks 0, 2, and 4; maintenance 400 mg every 4 weeks.

Rheumatoid Arthritis 400 mg SC at Weeks 0, 2, and 4; then 200 mg every 2 weeks; alternatively, 400 mg every 4 weeks may be considered for maintenance.

Juvenile polyarthritis Weight-based SC dosing at Weeks 0, 2, and 4, then maintenance every 2 weeks: 100 mg loading / 50 mg maintenance (10 to <20 kg); 200 mg loading / 100 mg maintenance (20 to <40 kg); 400 mg loading / 200 mg maintenance (>=40 kg).

Arthritis, Psoriatic 400 mg SC at Weeks 0, 2, and 4; then 200 mg every 2 weeks; alternatively, 400 mg every 4 weeks may be considered for maintenance.

Ankylosing spondylitis, Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis 400 mg SC at Weeks 0, 2, and 4; then 200 mg every 2 weeks or 400 mg every 4 weeks.

Psoriasis vulgaris 400 mg SC every 2 weeks; for patients <=90 kg, 400 mg at Weeks 0, 2, and 4 followed by 200 mg every 2 weeks may be considered.

Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin 375 mg/m2 IV; weekly for 4 or 8 doses for relapsed/refractory low-grade or follicular NHL; Day 1 of each chemotherapy cycle for up to 8 doses for previously untreated follicular or DLBCL; every 8 weeks for 12 doses as single-agent maintenance.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia 375 mg/m2 IV for 6 total infusions in combination with LMB chemotherapy (two doses during each of the two induction courses, one dose during each of the two consolidation courses) for pediatric patients aged 6 months and older.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 375 mg/m2 IV the day prior to initiation of cycle 1 FC chemotherapy, then 500 mg/m2 on Day 1 of cycles 2-6 every 28 days.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Two 1,000 mg IV infusions separated by 2 weeks per course in combination with methotrexate; subsequent courses every 24 weeks (no sooner than 16 weeks); premedicate with methylprednisolone 100 mg IV 30 minutes prior to each infusion.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Microscopic Polyarteritis Induction: 375 mg/m2 IV once weekly for 4 weeks with glucocorticoids; follow-up: two 500 mg IV infusions separated by 2 weeks, then 500 mg IV every 6 months based on clinical evaluation.

Pemphigus Vulgaris Two 1,000 mg IV infusions separated by 2 weeks in combination with a tapering course of glucocorticoids; then 500 mg IV at Month 12 and every 6 months thereafter or based on clinical evaluation.

Contraindications

History of hypersensitivity reaction to certolizumab pegol or any excipient (including angioedema, anaphylaxis, serum sickness, or urticaria)

—

Drug Interactions

1383View drug interactions

537View drug interactions

Adverse Reactions

Most common (>=8%) Upper respiratory infections (18%), rash (9%), urinary tract infections (8%)

Serious Serious infections, malignancies, heart failure, hypersensitivity reactions, hepatitis B virus reactivation, neurologic reactions, hematologic reactions, autoimmunity, immunosuppression

Postmarketing Systemic vasculitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme, new or worsening psoriasis (all subtypes), lichenoid skin reaction, sarcoidosis, melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma

Most common (>=25%) Infusion-related reactions, fever, lymphopenia, chills, infection, asthenia (in NHL); infusion-related reactions, neutropenia (in CLL)

Serious Fatal infusion-related reactions, severe mucocutaneous reactions, hepatitis B reactivation with fulminant hepatitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, tumor lysis syndrome, sepsis, cardiovascular events, renal toxicity, bowel obstruction and perforation

Postmarketing Prolonged pancytopenia, fatal cardiac failure, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, severe mucocutaneous reactions, pyoderma gangrenosum, bowel obstruction and perforation, fatal bronchiolitis obliterans, fatal interstitial lung disease, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

Pharmacology

Certolizumab pegol is a PEGylated Fab' fragment of a humanized anti-TNF-alpha antibody that selectively neutralizes soluble and membrane-associated human TNF-alpha, a key pro-inflammatory cytokine; it lacks an Fc region and therefore does not fix complement or cause antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro.

Rituximab is a chimeric murine/human IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody that binds the CD20 antigen on pre-B and mature B-lymphocytes, mediating B-cell lysis via complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).

View Full FDA Information

View full FDA information

Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.

Most Common Insurance

Anthem BCBS

Cimzia