INFLIXIMAB
INFLIXIMAB
Indications and usage 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Infliximab is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker indicated for: Crohn's Disease : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.1 ) reducing the number of draining enterocutaneous and rectovaginal fistulas and maintaining fistula closure in adult patients with fistulizing disease. ( 1.1 ) Pediatric Crohn's Disease : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.2 ) Ulcerative Colitis : reducing signs and symptoms, inducing and maintaining clinical remission and mucosal healing, and eliminating corticosteroid use in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.3 ) Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.4 ) Rheumatoid Arthritis in combination with methotrexate : reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease. ( 1.5 ) Ankylosing Spondylitis : reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with active disease. ( 1.6 ) Psoriatic Arthritis : reducing signs and symptoms of active arthritis, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients. ( 1.7 ) Plaque Psoriasis : treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (i.e., extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy and when other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate. ( 1.8 ) 1.1 Crohn's Disease Infliximab is indicated for: reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD) who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. reducing the number of draining enterocutaneous and rectovaginal fistulas and maintaining fistula closure in adult patients with fistulizing CD. 1.2 Pediatric Crohn's Disease Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active CD who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.3 Ulcerative Colitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, inducing and maintaining clinical remission and mucosal healing, and eliminating corticosteroid use in adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.4 Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active UC who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Infliximab, in combination with methotrexate, is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 1.6 Ankylosing Spondylitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). 1.7 Psoriatic Arthritis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of active arthritis, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). 1.8 Plaque Psoriasis Infliximab is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (i.e., extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis (Ps) who are candidates for systemic therapy and when other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate.
Infliximab should only be administered to patients who will be closely monitored and have regular follow-up visits with a physician [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5) ] .
Structured Monograph
Clinical summary
Indications and usage 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Infliximab is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker indicated for: Crohn's Disease : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.1 ) reducing the number of draining enterocutaneous and rectovaginal fistulas and maintaining fistula closure in adult patients with fistulizing disease. ( 1.1 ) Pediatric Crohn's Disease : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.2 ) Ulcerative Colitis : reducing signs and symptoms, inducing and maintaining clinical remission and mucosal healing, and eliminating corticosteroid use in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.3 ) Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis : reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. ( 1.4 ) Rheumatoid Arthritis in combination with methotrexate : reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease. ( 1.5 ) Ankylosing Spondylitis : reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with active disease. ( 1.6 ) Psoriatic Arthritis : reducing signs and symptoms of active arthritis, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients. ( 1.7 ) Plaque Psoriasis : treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (i.e., extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy and when other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate. ( 1.8 ) 1.1 Crohn's Disease Infliximab is indicated for: reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD) who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. reducing the number of draining enterocutaneous and rectovaginal fistulas and maintaining fistula closure in adult patients with fistulizing CD. 1.2 Pediatric Crohn's Disease Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active CD who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.3 Ulcerative Colitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, inducing and maintaining clinical remission and mucosal healing, and eliminating corticosteroid use in adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.4 Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with moderately to severely active UC who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. 1.5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Infliximab, in combination with methotrexate, is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 1.6 Ankylosing Spondylitis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). 1.7 Psoriatic Arthritis Infliximab is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of active arthritis, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). 1.8 Plaque Psoriasis Infliximab is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (i.e., extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis (Ps) who are candidates for systemic therapy and when other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate. Infliximab should only be administered to patients who will be closely monitored and have regular follow-up visits with a physician [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5) ] . Dosage and administration 2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Prior to treatment, ensure appropriate personnel and medication are available to treat reactions (e.g., hypersensitivity) that occur during infusion and shortly after infusion. ( 2.11 ) Infliximab is administered by intravenous infusion for at least 2 hours with an in-line filter ( 2.11 ) Crohn's Disease : 5 mg/kg at 0, 2 and 6 weeks, then every 8 weeks. Some adult patients who initially respond to treatment may benefit from increasing the dose to 10 mg/kg every 8 weeks if they later lose their res
Boxed Warning
WARNING: SERIOUS INFECTIONS and MALIGNANCY WARNING: SERIOUS INFECTIONS and MALIGNANCY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Increased risk of serious infections leading to hospitalization or death, including tuberculosis (TB), bacterial sepsis, invasive fungal infections (such as histoplasmosis) and infections due to other opportunistic pathogens. ( 5.1 ) Discontinue Infliximab if a patient develops a serious infection. Perform test for latent TB; if positive, start treatment for TB prior to starting Infliximab. Monitor all patients for active TB during treatment, even if initial latent TB test is negative. ( 5.1 ) Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, including Infliximab. ( 5.2 ) Postmarketing cases of fatal hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) have been reported in patients treated with TNF blockers including Infliximab. Almost all had received azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine concomitantly with a TNF blocker at or prior to diagnosis. The majority of Infliximab cases were reported in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, most of whom were adolescent or young adult males. ( 5.2 ) SERIOUS INFECTIONS Patients treated with Infliximab are at increased risk for developing serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Most patients who developed these infections were taking concomitant immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or corticosteroids. Infliximab should be discontinued if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis. Reported infections include: Active tuberculosis, including reactivation of latent tuberculosis. Patients with tuberculosis have frequently presented with disseminated or extrapulmonary disease. Patients should be tested for latent tuberculosis before Infliximab use and during therapy. Treatment for latent infection should be initiated prior to Infliximab use. Invasive fungal infections, including histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, and pneumocystosis. Patients with histoplasmosis or other invasive fungal infections may present with disseminated, rather than localized, disease. Antigen and antibody testing for histoplasmosis may be negative in some patients with active infection. Empiric anti-fungal therapy should be considered in patients at risk for invasive fungal infections who develop severe systemic illness. Bacterial, viral and other infections due to opportunistic pathogens, including Legionella and Listeria. The risks and benefits of treatment with Infliximab should be carefully considered prior to initiating therapy in patients with chronic or recurrent infection. Patients should be closely monitored for the development of signs and symptoms of infection during and after treatment with Infliximab, including the possible development of tuberculosis in patients who tested negative for latent tuberculosis infection prior to initiating therapy. MALIGNANCY Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF blockers, including Infliximab [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . Postmarketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare type of T-cell lymphoma, have been reported in patients treated with TNF blockers including Infliximab. These cases have had a very aggressive disease course and have been fatal. Almost all patients had received treatment with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine concomitantly with a TNF blocker at or prior to diagnosis. The majority of reported Infliximab cases have occurred in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and most were in adolescent and young adult males.
Monitoring
- • 5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Serious infections – do not give Infliximab during an active infection.
- • If an infection develops, monitor carefully and stop Infliximab if infection becomes serious.
- • ( 5.1 ) Invasive fungal infections – for patients who develop a systemic illness on Infliximab, consider empiric antifungal therapy for those who reside or travel to regions where mycoses are endemic ( 5.1 ) Malignancies – the incidence of malignancies, including invasive cervical cancer and lymphoma, was greater in Infliximab treated patients than in controls.
- • Due to the risk of HSTCL carefully assess the risk/benefit especially if the patient has Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, is male, and is receiving azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine treatment.
Interaction Notes
- • 7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Other Biological Products – increased risk of serious infections.
- • ( 7.1 ) 7.1 Other Biological Products The combination of Infliximab with other biological products used to treat the same conditions as Infliximab is not recommended [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) ] .
- • An increased risk of serious infections was seen in clinical studies of other TNF blockers used in combination with anakinra or abatacept, with no added clinical benefit.
- • Because of the nature of the adverse reactions seen with these combinations with TNF blocker therapy, similar toxicities may also result from the combination of anakinra or abatacept with other TNF blockers.