Medications
Welcome to the Medications page. Please click on the plus-sign (+) to read more about a particular medication.
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ACTEMRA® is a prescription medicine called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitor. ACTEMRA® is used to treat adults with moderately to severly active active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after at least one other medicine called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist has been used and did not work well. It is given as a monthly IV infusion.
For more information about ACTEMRA®, please visit www.actemra.com
BENLYSTA®is a prescription medication used to treat adults with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) who are receiving other lupus medicines
For more information about BENLYSTA®, please visit www.benlysta.com
Boniva is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in women after menopause. Boniva helps increase bone mass and helps reduce the chance of having a spinal fracture (break).
For more information, please read: Boniva Medication Guide (PDF)
CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol) is an exciting new option in RA therapy which in clinical trial has been shown to reduce pain, stiffness and fatigue as fast as 1 to 2 weeks. Many patients on CIMZIA® experienced lasting relief at both 6 months and 1 year.
CIMZIA® is a medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Rheumatoid Arthritis and is also approved for Crohn’s disease.
CIMZIA® is referred to as an “anti-TNF therapy”. By blocking tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, CIMZIA® helps reduce the inflammation, stiffness and joint damage RA causes.
CIMZIA® is taken by an injection under the skin. After initial doses, CIMZIA® can be injected every 2 or 4 weeks and may be taken with or without other RA medications like methotrexate.
For more information about CIMZIA®, please visit www.cimzia.com
COSENTYX® (secukinumab) is a subcutaneous injection indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. It is also indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis.
For more information on COSENTYX®, go to: www.cosentyxhcp.com
ENTYVIO is a prescription medicine (intravenous; injection) used in adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD).
For more information on ENTYVIO, please visit www.entyvio.com .
Joint pain and inflammation can limit your abilities from washing your hair to finishing a project at work. In fact, scientists have studied and identified the impact an illness such as rheumatoid arthritis can have on a person’s health-related quality of life in specific areas. Researchers have assessed these areas using a survey called the SF-36®. The SF-36® asks 36 questions in 8 areas of function about physical and mental aspects of an individual’s health-related quality of life. ORENCIA® has been shown to improve the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, slow the advance of joint damage, and help improve physical function.
Read more about ORENCIA® at www.orencia.com
Otezla (apremilast) is a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor given as a twice daily pill used to treat adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis and certain types of psoriasis.
For more information on Otezla, please visit www.otezla.com.
Prolia® (denosumab) is a different way to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis in women who have an increased risk for fractures. Prolia is one shot, given in your doctor’s office every 6 months, that can help reduce fracture risk and strengthen your bones.
For more information about Prolia®, please visit www.prolia.com
Maintaining your bone health can help you stay strong for your family, friends and the other parts of your active life. Just one annual dose of Reclast, along with daily calcium and Vitamin D, helps to increase your bone density. So your bones can be stronger and better protected.
For more information, please visit the Reclast® webpage.
When taken with methotrexate, REMICADE® can provide quick symptom relief—in as few as 2 weeks for some patients. Of course, the potential impact of RA goes beyond your day-to-day symptoms. So it’s good to know that REMICADE® can also help stop the progression of long-term damage. Individual results may vary.
Read more about REMICADE® at www.remicade.com
RITUXAN® (rituximab) is a monoclonal antibody used in adults with another prescription medicine called methotrexate, to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe active RA, after at least one other medicine called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor has not been effective. It is also approved for Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA or Wegeners) and Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and certain leukemias.
Read more about RITUXAN® at www.rituxan.com
SIMPONI ARIA ® (golimumab) is a 30 minute intravenous nifusion approved for use in patients with moderate to severe RA usually in conjunction with methotrexate.
For more information on SIMPONI ARIA ®, please visit www.simponiariahcp.com.
STELARA® (ustekinumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis. STELARA® can be used alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX).It is also indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy and also indicated for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease who have:
– failed or were intolerant to treatment with immunomodulators or corticosteroids, but never failed treatment with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker, or
– failed or were intolerant to treatment with one or more TNF blockers
For more information on STELARA®, please visit www.stelarainfo.com .
XELJANZ is a prescription medicine called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. XELJANZ is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in which methotrexate did not work well.
Read more about XELJANZ at www.xeljanz.com
KEVZARA (sarilumab) is an injectable prescription medicine
called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blocker. Kevzara is used to treat
adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
after at least one other medicine called a disease-modifying antirheumatic
drug (DMARD) has been used and did not work well or could not be tolerated.
Read more about KEVZARA at www.kevzara.com
OLUMIANT (baracitinib) is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. JAK
inhibitors help disrupt how cells respond to some cytokines. Cytokines are
proteins that allow cells to communicate with each other, and excess cytokines
may cause inflammation. In RA, joint inflammation may cause pain, swelling,
and tenderness. It is not known which disrupted cytokines are most related to
the therapeutic effects of Olumiant
Read more about OLUMIANT at www.olumiant.com
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RINVOQ (upadacitinib) is a JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitor
approved for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis for whom
methotrexate did not work well. It has been evaluated across multiple clinical
studies in over 2,600 people.Read more about RINVOQ at www.rinvoq.com
SILIQ (brodalumab) injection is a prescription medicine used
to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: who may benefit from
injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using
ultraviolet light treatment) and who have tried another systemic therapy that
didn’t work or stopped.
Read more about SILIQ at www.siliq.com
SKYRIZI (risankizumab) is a prescription medicine used to
treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from
taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or treatment using ultraviolet
or UV light (phototherapy).
Read more about SKYRIZI at www.skyrizi.com
TALTZ (ixekizumab) is approved to treat people six years and
older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) who may benefit from
taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using
ultraviolet or UV light). Taltz is also approved for adult patients with
active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), adults with active ankylosing spondylitis
(AS), and adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
(nr-axSpA) with objective signs of inflammation.
Read more about TALTZ at www.taltz.com
TREMFYA (guselkumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat
adults with active psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis
who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or
phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light).
Read more about TREMFYA at www.tremfya.com
TYMLOS (abaloparatide) is indicated for the treatment of
postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture defined as a
history of osteoporotic fracture, multiple risk factors for fracture, or
patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis
therapy. In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Tymlos reduces the risk of
vertebral fractures and nonvertebral fracture.
Read more about TYMLOS at www.tymlos.com