Rituxan vs. Orencia

• Are Orencia and Rituxan the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Rituxan?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Orencia?
• What Is Rituxan?
• What Is Orencia?
• What Drugs Interact with Rituxan?
• What Drugs Interact with Orencia?
• How Should Rituxan Be Taken?
• How Should Orencia Be Taken?

Rituxan (rituximab) and Orencia (abatacept) are used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rituxan is also used in combination with other cancer medicines to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Orencia is also used to treat arthritis in children who are at least 6 years old. Orencia is not a cure for any autoimmune disorder and only treats symptoms.

Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody and Orencia is a recombinant DNA generated fusion protein.

Side effects of Rituxan and Orencia that are similar include headache, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, heartburn/indigestion, flushing, back pain, and dizziness.

Side effects of Rituxan that are different from Orencia include fever, chills, night sweats, weakness, and muscle or joint pain.

Side effects of Orencia that are different from Rituxan include cold symptoms such as stuffy head/nose, sneezing, sore throat, or cough.

Both Rituxan and Orencia may interact with monoclonal antibodies and etanercept.

Rituxan may also interact with cisplatin, auranofin, azathioprine, cyclosporine, leflunomide, minocycline, sulfasalazine, blood pressure medications, or medications to treat malaria.

Orencia may also interact with anakinra and "live" vaccines.

Common side effects of Rituxan include:

• headache,
• fever,
• chills,
• stomach pain,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• heartburn,
• flushing,
• night sweats,
• weakness,
• muscle or joint pain,
• back pain, or
• dizziness.

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Rituxan including:

• increased thirst or urination,
• swelling of the hands or feet, or
• tingling of the hands or feet.

Common side effects of Orencia include:

• headache,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• stomach pain,
• indigestion,
• dizziness,
• flushing,
• back pain, or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy head/nose, sneezing, sore throat, or cough.

Serious side effects of Orencia include:

• fever,
• chills,
• night sweats,
• flu symptoms,
• weight loss,
• feeling very tired,
• fatal infections,
• shortness of breath,
• changes in the amount of urine,
• pain when urinating, and
• severe abdominal pain.

Rituxan (rituximab) is a cancer medication used in combination with other cancer medicines to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rituxan is also used in combination with another drug called methotrexate to treat symptoms of adult rheumatoid arthritis.

Orencia (abatacept) is a recombinant DNA generated fusion protein used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and to prevent joint damage caused by these conditions. Orencia is also used to treat arthritis in children who are at least 6 years old. Orencia is not a cure for any autoimmune disorder and only treats symptoms.

Rituxan may interact with cisplatin, adalimumab, auranofin, azathioprine, cyclosporine, etanercept, infliximab, leflunomide, minocycline, sulfasalazine, blood pressure medications, or medication to treat malaria.

There may be other drugs that can interact with Orencia. The prescribing doctor needs to know all medications (including herbals) that the person is taking. During pregnancy, Orencia should be used only when prescribed. It is unknown if Orencia passes into breast milk or if it would harm a nursing baby. Breastfeeding is not recommended while using this drug.

Rituxan is administered under a physician's supervision. The dose of Rituxan varies depending on the disorder being treated and the number of infusions (doses) needed.

Orencia is supplied in single use vials at a strength of 250mg per vial. Orencia is administered intravenously (IV) as a 30-minute infusion. Dosing is based on the patient's weight. Following the initial intravenous administration, an IV infusion is given at 2 and 4 weeks after the first infusion and every 4 weeks thereafter.