Inflectra and Remicade are both biologic medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. Inflectra is a biosimilar to Remicade. Biosimilars are highly similar to an already approved biologic medicine, with no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety, purity, and potency.
What are Inflectra and Remicade used for?
Both Remicade (infliximab) and its biosimilar Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) are approved to treat several inflammatory conditions. These include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis [1].
How do Inflectra and Remicade work?
Both medications contain the active ingredient infliximab, which is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor. TNF is a protein that plays a role in inflammation. By blocking TNF, infliximab reduces inflammation in the body [1].
What is the difference between a biosimilar and a biologic?
A biosimilar, like Inflectra, is a biological product that is highly similar to an already approved biologic, known as the reference product (Remicade in this case). The manufacturer of a biosimilar must demonstrate that there are no clinically significant differences in safety, purity, and potency between the biosimilar and the reference product [2].
Who makes Inflectra and Remicade?
Remicade was originally developed by Janssen Biotech. Inflectra is manufactured by Celltrion Healthcare and marketed in the United States by Pfizer [1].
Can Inflectra be substituted for Remicade?
Substitution of biosimilars for reference biologics is determined by state laws and healthcare provider decisions. While biosimilars are designed to be highly similar, healthcare providers may choose which product to prescribe based on various factors, including cost, availability, and patient history [2].
What is the patent status for Remicade?
Patent information for Remicade, like other biologic drugs, can be complex and involve multiple patents covering different aspects of the drug's development, manufacturing, and uses. Information on specific patent expiry dates and any ongoing patent litigation for Remicade can be found through resources like DrugPatentWatch.com [3].