Interactions of Infliximab

Interactions between Infliximab and other medications taken simultaneously are possible. Although there are not many studies on interactions with Infliximab, it is recommended that some aspects of its use be considered. Infliximab should not be taken together with similarly acting medications, as they can massively increase each other’s effects and can lead to serious infections. Live vaccines should also not be administered during the duration of the therapy, as they place a great strain on the immune system, which is already weakened due to immunosuppression.

When should Infliximab not be given?

There are a number of contraindications for which Infliximab should not be given. In general, caution is advised if you have had an allergic reaction to Infliximab or a similar immunosuppressive drug in the past. In this case there is a significantly increased probability that a second, stronger allergic reaction will occur.

Infliximab should not be given to patients who have had tuberculosis in the past or are currently suffering from it. Nor should it be given to other serious infections that have occurred or are acute. Another contraindication is the presence of moderate to severe heart failure.

How is Infliximab dosed?

It is not possible to give a blanket statement on the dosage. It depends very much on the underlying disease, the extent of the disease and the age of the patient. For children the dose is calculated strictly according to body weight.

Infliximab is administered in intervals. This means it is not administered daily. Usually it is administered twice in a short period of time at the beginning of the therapy, after which the interval between doses is extended to four to six weeks. This is possible because Infliximab has a very long duration of action.

Why are the costs for Infliximab so high?

The cost of Infliximab is so high because the development of the drug consumes a lot of resources and took a very long time. In addition, as is still the case today, it was a very complex manufacturing process.Since Infliximab is a highly specific and very effective drug, a lot of harm can be done if it is not manufactured, stored and processed very correctly. All these are factors that drive up costs. Before the introduction of biosimilars, the generic products, the drug was even more expensive because it was patented and could not be produced by any other company. As a result, there was no competition that could have reduced development costs.