| Rheumatoid Arthritis

Remicade vs Rituxan

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

Deep comparison between: Remicade 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 Remicade based on FDA-approved prescribing information

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

Category

Remicade

Rituxan

At A Glance

RouteIV infusion

FrequencyEvery 8 weeks

ClassTNF-alpha inhibitor

RouteIV infusion

ClassAnti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

Indications

Crohn Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthritis, Psoriatic
Psoriasis vulgaris

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

Dosing

Crohn Disease, Ulcerative Colitis 5 mg/kg IV induction at 0, 2, and 6 weeks, then 5 mg/kg every 8 weeks (adults and pediatric patients >= 6 years).

Rheumatoid Arthritis 3 mg/kg IV induction at 0, 2, and 6 weeks, then 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks in combination with methotrexate; dose may be increased up to 10 mg/kg every 8 weeks or every 4 weeks for incomplete responders.

Arthritis, Psoriatic, Psoriasis vulgaris 5 mg/kg IV induction at 0, 2, and 6 weeks, then 5 mg/kg every 8 weeks.

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

Doses >5 mg/kg in patients with moderate or severe heart failure
Previous severe hypersensitivity reaction to infliximab, any inactive ingredient of REMICADE, or any murine proteins (including anaphylaxis, hypotension, and serum sickness)

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Drug Interactions

1226View drug interactions

538View drug interactions

Adverse Reactions

Most common (>10%) Infections (upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, pharyngitis), infusion-related reactions, headache, abdominal pain.

Serious Pneumonia, cellulitis, abscess, sepsis, bacterial infection, hepatotoxicity, acute liver failure, malignancies (including lymphoma), pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia.

Postmarketing Neutropenia, agranulocytosis, interstitial lung disease, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, peripheral demyelinating disorders, anaphylactic shock, cerebrovascular accidents, myocardial ischemia/infarction.

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

TNF-alpha antagonist; infliximab is a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the biological activity of TNF-alpha by binding with high affinity to both soluble and transmembrane forms of TNF-alpha and inhibiting its binding to receptors, thereby reducing inflammation in RA, CD, UC, AS, PsA, and Ps.

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).

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Most Common Insurance

Anthem BCBS

Remicade