These are the interactions of Adalimumab

Almost no interactions are known for adalimumab. Especially drugs like anticoagulants (e.g. Marcumar), which often lead to interactions, are well tolerated with Adalimumab. Some studies have shown that the combination of adalimumab with other biologicals or antirheumatic drugs can weaken the effect of adalimumab or can greatly increase the susceptibility of the patient to infections. Therefore it is important that you take your medication strictly according to the instructions of your treating physician. In addition, you should generally always tell your doctor about newly prescribed or privately purchased medicines so that he or she can keep an eye on the interactions.

Contraindications of Adalimumab

For adalimumab there are some contraindications, also called contraindications, which make the use of adalimumab impossible. These include a known allergy to adalimumab, which can lead to a strong allergic reaction or even anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. Furthermore, Adalimumab must not be used if the patient is suffering from tuberculosis.

This includes both active tuberculosis (i.e. symptomatic tuberculosis) as well as symptom-free, so-called latent tuberculosis, as this can be reactivated when the immune system is suppressed. Adalimumab must also not be used in cases of moderate to severe cardiac insufficiency, as this can worsen. These include the NYHA III and IV stages. Besides these absolute contraindications, which completely prohibit the use of adalimumab, there are also many relative contraindications for which adalimumab may only be used under strict benefit-risk assessment and monitoring. Among them are for example liver diseases, diseases of the central nervous system or tumor diseases.

How is Adalimumab dosed?

The dosage of Adalimumab is individual, may only be determined by a suitably qualified specialist and should be strictly followed. Adalimumab is taken as an injection and is injected under the skin (subcutaneously). In most cases the application is only necessary once a week or less and the amount of the active ingredient can be adjusted in the course of the therapy.

Why are the costs so high?

Biologicals are still relatively new drugs. Their production is extremely complex and requires many individual steps in high-tech laboratories. This means that the costs for biologicals, which in addition can only be used in syringe form, are very high. However, the costs have already fallen in recent years as better and less complicated manufacturing processes are being investigated. A further development of the price remains to be seen.

Adalimumab and alcohol – is that acceptable?

In the package insert for adalimumab, no interaction between adalimumab and the consumption of alcohol is stated. Since Adalimumab is administered by injection, there is no interference with the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. However, in the case of acute attacks of a chronic inflammatory disease, alcohol should generally not be recommended, as it puts our body under additional stress and has a negative effect on the immune system. Thus, attacks of illness due to alcohol consumption can be longer and more severe.