Orencia vs. Remicade

• Are Orencia and Remicade the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Orencia?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Remicade?
• What Is Orencia?
• What Is Remicade?
• What drugs interact with Orencia?
• What drugs interact with Remicade?
• How Should Orencia Be Taken?
• How Should Remicade Be Taken?

Orencia (abatacept) and Remicade (infliximab) are used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

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.

Remicade is also used to treat psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and ankylosing spondylitis. Remicade is also used to treat severe or disabling plaque psoriasis (raised, silvery flaking of the skin). Remicade is often used when other medicines have not been effective.

Orencia and Remicade belong to different drug classes. Orencia is a recombinant DNA generated fusion protein and Remicade is a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF).

Side effects of Orencia and Remicade that are similar include headache, nausea, stomach pain, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), and stuffy nose.

Side effects of Orencia that are different from Remicade include diarrhea, indigestion, dizziness, back pain, and cold symptoms such as sneezing, sore throat, or cough.

Side effects of Remicade that are different from Orencia include sinus pain and skin rash.

Both Orencia and Remicade may interact with anakinra, tocilizumab, any "biologic" medications to treat your condition (adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, golimumab, natalizumab, rituximab, and others).

Remicade may also interact with "live" vaccines, abatacept, and any other medicines to treat Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or psoriasis.

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.

Common side effects of Remicade include:

• headache,
• stomach pain,
• nausea,
• stuffy nose,
• sinus pain,
• skin rash, or
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

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

• pain or swelling at injection site,
• joint or muscle pain,
• swelling of ankles or feet,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• vision changes,
• seizures,
• confusion,
• muscle weakness,
• numbness and tingling of arms or legs,
• butterfly-shaped facial rash,
• chest pain,
• pain/redness/swelling of arms or legs,
• shortness of breath, or
• fast/slow/irregular heartbeat.

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.

Remicade (infliximab) is a chimeric IgG1k monoclonal antibody used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and ankylosing spondylitis. Remicade is also used to treat severe or disabling plaque psoriasis (raised, silvery flaking of the skin). Remicade is often used when other medicines have not been effective. Remicade blocks the action of a protein in your body called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).

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.

Other drugs may interact with Remicade. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you use.

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.

The dosing of Remicade varies, and depends on the condition being treated.