| Rheumatoid Arthritis
Olumiant vs Acthar
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for rheumatoid arthritis.Deep comparison between: Olumiant vs Acthar 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 signalsActhar has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Olumiant based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Acthar but not Olumiant, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Olumiant
Acthar
At A Glance
Oral
Once daily
JAK inhibitor
IM or SC injection
Corticotropin analog
Indications
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- COVID-19 Virus Disease
- Alopecia Areata
- Infantile Spasm
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Arthritis, Psoriatic
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
- Dermatomyositis
- Polymyositis
- Erythema Multiforme
- Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
- Serum Sickness
- Keratitis
- Iritis
- Iridocyclitis
- Uveitis, Posterior
- Choroiditis
- Optic Neuritis
- Chorioretinitis
- Sarcoidosis
- Nephrotic Syndrome
Dosing
Rheumatoid Arthritis 2 mg once daily orally, with or without food; may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate or other non-biologic DMARDs.
COVID-19 Virus Disease 4 mg once daily orally, with or without food, for 14 days or until hospital discharge, whichever occurs first.
Alopecia Areata 2 mg once daily orally; increase to 4 mg once daily if response is not adequate; reduce back to 2 mg once daily when adequate response is achieved.
Infantile Spasm 150 U/m2/day IM divided into 75 U/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks, then taper over 2 weeks; Acthar Gel vial only -- do not use the pre-filled SelfJect injector.
Multiple Sclerosis 80-120 units IM or SC daily for 2-3 weeks for acute exacerbations; taper as needed.
Arthritis, Psoriatic, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic, Dermatomyositis, Polymyositis, Erythema Multiforme, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Serum Sickness, Keratitis, Iritis, Iridocyclitis, Uveitis, Posterior, Choroiditis, Optic Neuritis, Chorioretinitis, Sarcoidosis, Nephrotic Syndrome 40-80 units IM or SC every 24-72 hours; individualize dosing based on disease severity and patient response; taper dose upon discontinuation.
Contraindications
—
- Intravenous administration
- Use in infants under 2 years of age with suspected congenital infections
- Concomitant live or live-attenuated vaccines during immunosuppressive doses of Acthar Gel
- Scleroderma
- Osteoporosis
- Systemic fungal infections
- Ocular herpes simplex
- Recent surgery
- History of or presence of peptic ulcer
- Congestive heart failure
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Primary adrenocortical insufficiency
- Adrenocortical hyperfunction
- Sensitivity to proteins of porcine origin
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=1%) Upper respiratory tract infections, nausea, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, acne, hyperlipidemia, urinary tract infections, headache, fatigue, folliculitis, lower respiratory tract infections, genital Candida infections, anemia, neutropenia, liver enzyme elevations, blood creatine phosphokinase increased, thrombocytosis, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism
Serious Serious infections, mortality, malignancy and lymphoproliferative disorders, major adverse cardiovascular events, thrombosis, hypersensitivity, gastrointestinal perforations, laboratory abnormalities
Postmarketing Drug hypersensitivity including rash, urticaria, and angioedema
Most common (>=5%) Infections, convulsions, hypertension, irritability, pyrexia (reported in infantile spasm trials at recommended dose)
Serious Cushing's syndrome, adrenal insufficiency upon withdrawal, elevated blood pressure, salt and water retention, hypokalemia, gastrointestinal perforation and bleeding, behavioral and mood disturbances, ophthalmic effects, decreased bone density, negative effects on growth and physical development
Postmarketing Anaphylaxis, necrotizing angitis, pancreatitis, intracranial hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, reversible brain shrinkage, vertebral compression fractures, insomnia, injection site reactions
Pharmacology
Baricitinib is a JAK inhibitor that selectively inhibits JAK1, JAK2, and TYK2, preventing phosphorylation and activation of STATs and thereby modulating cytokine signaling pathways involved in hematopoiesis and immune cell function.
Repository corticotropin (ACTH) analog that stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, and weak androgens; also reported to bind melanocortin receptors, with the trophic effects on the adrenal cortex appearing to be mediated by cyclic AMP.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Olumiant
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
Acthar
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Olumiant
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (6/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (6/8)
Acthar
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (1/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Humana
Olumiant
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (2/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
Acthar
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (2/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
$25/momo
Olumiant Savings Card - Non-covered benefitCommercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
No savings programs available for Acthar.
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.