| Rheumatoid Arthritis

Kevzara vs Purified Cortrophin Gel

Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for rheumatoid arthritis.
Deep comparison between: Kevzara vs Purified Cortrophin Gel with Prescriber.AI
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Safety signalsPurified Cortrophin Gel has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Kevzara based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Purified Cortrophin Gel but not Kevzara, including UnitedHealthcare
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Kevzara
Purified Cortrophin Gel
At A Glance
SC injection
Every 2 weeks
IL-6 receptor antagonist
SC/IM injection
Corticotropin (ACTH)
Indications
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica
  • Juvenile polyarthritis
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Primary gout
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
  • Polymyositis
  • Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
  • Psoriasis
  • Dermatitis, Atopic
  • Serum Sickness
  • Allergic Conjunctivitis
  • Keratitis
  • Iritis
  • Iridocyclitis
  • Uveitis
  • Optic Neuritis
  • Chorioretinitis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Nephrotic Syndrome
  • Multiple Sclerosis
Dosing
Rheumatoid Arthritis 200 mg SC injection once every 2 weeks; may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate or other conventional DMARDs.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica 200 mg SC injection once every 2 weeks in combination with a tapering course of corticosteroids; may be used as monotherapy following discontinuation of corticosteroids.
Juvenile polyarthritis 200 mg SC injection once every 2 weeks for patients weighing 63 kg or greater; may be used as monotherapy or in combination with conventional DMARDs.
Arthritis, Psoriatic, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Primary gout, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic, Polymyositis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Psoriasis, Dermatitis, Atopic, Serum Sickness, Allergic Conjunctivitis, Keratitis, Iritis, Iridocyclitis, Uveitis, Optic Neuritis, Chorioretinitis, Sarcoidosis, Nephrotic Syndrome Dose individualized based on disease severity, plasma and urine corticosteroid levels, and patient response; administer SC or IM; verify adrenal responsiveness prior to treatment (up to 80 units as a single injection); chronic doses above 40 units daily associated with uncontrollable adverse effects.
Multiple Sclerosis 80-120 units daily SC or IM for 2-3 weeks for acute exacerbations.
Contraindications
  • Known hypersensitivity to sarilumab or any of the inactive ingredients
  • Intravenous administration
  • Scleroderma
  • Osteoporosis
  • Systemic fungal infections
  • Ocular herpes simplex
  • Recent surgery
  • History of or presence of a peptic ulcer
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Hypertension
  • Sensitivity to proteins derived from porcine sources
  • Primary adrenocortical insufficiency
  • Adrenocortical hyperfunction
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=3%) Neutropenia, increased ALT, injection site erythema, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections
Serious Serious infections (pneumonia, cellulitis), gastrointestinal perforation, hypersensitivity reactions, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes, lipid abnormalities
Fluid and Electrolyte Sodium retention, hypokalemic alkalosis, fluid retention, calcium loss, potassium loss
Musculoskeletal Muscle weakness, loss of muscle mass, steroid myopathy, osteoporosis, vertebral compression fractures, aseptic necrosis of femoral and humeral heads, pathologic fracture of long bones
Gastrointestinal Peptic ulcer with possible perforation and hemorrhage, abdominal distention, ulcerative esophagitis, pancreatitis
Dermatologic Injection site reactions, impaired wound healing, increased sweating, thin fragile skin, suppression of skin test reactions, petechiae and ecchymoses, acne, hyperpigmentation, facial erythema
Cardiovascular Hypertension, congestive heart failure, necrotizing angiitis
Neurological Convulsions, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema, headache, vertigo
Endocrine Menstrual irregularities, Cushingoid state, suppression of growth in children, secondary adrenocortical and pituitary insufficiency, decreased carbohydrate tolerance, manifestations of latent diabetes mellitus, increased requirements for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents, hirsutism
Ophthalmic Posterior subcapsular cataracts, increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma with possible damage to optic nerve, exophthalmos
Metabolic Negative nitrogen balance due to protein catabolism
Allergic Dizziness, nausea and vomiting, skin reactions, anaphylaxis (anaphylactic shock, urticaria, respiratory compromise, edema)
Miscellaneous Weight gain, abscess, development of antibodies and loss of stimulatory effect
Pharmacology
IL-6 receptor antagonist; sarilumab is a human recombinant IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to both soluble and membrane-bound IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R and mIL-6R), inhibiting IL-6-mediated pro-inflammatory signaling involved in T-cell activation, acute phase protein synthesis, and joint inflammation.
Purified Cortrophin Gel is an anterior pituitary hormone (corticotropin/ACTH) that stimulates the functioning adrenal cortex to produce and secrete adrenocortical hormones; it is formulated as a porcine-derived purified ACTH in a sterile gelatin solution for prolonged activity.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Kevzara
  • Covered on 5 commercial plans
  • PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
View full coverage details ›
Purified Cortrophin Gel
  • Covered on 5 commercial plans
  • PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
View full coverage details ›
UnitedHealthcare
Kevzara
  • Covered on 4 commercial plans
  • PA (4/8) · Step Therapy (4/8) · Qty limit (2/8)
View full coverage details ›
Purified Cortrophin Gel
  • Covered on 4 commercial plans
  • PA (5/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
View full coverage details ›
Humana
Kevzara
  • Covered on 0 commercial plans
  • PA (1/3) · Step Therapy (1/3) · Qty limit (0/3)
View full coverage details ›
Purified Cortrophin Gel
  • Covered on 0 commercial plans
  • PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (3/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
View full coverage details ›
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
Cost estimate not availableAssistance Fund: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
No savings programs available for Purified Cortrophin Gel.
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KevzaraView full Kevzara profile
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.