Cimpay
CIMZIA is used to lessen signs and symptoms of moderate to severe Crohn‘s disease in adults not helped enough by usual treatments.
In people with Crohn's disease, the immune system produces too much of a protein called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). TNF-alpha triggers inflammation, which can lead to inconvenient and often painful symptoms, some of which can cause damage to your gastrointestinal tract.
CIMZIA is a PEGylated TNF blocker
CIMZIA blocks the action of TNF, a substance produced by cells of the immune system to induce inflammation. CIMZIA is unique because it's the first and only PEGylated biologic treatment for Crohn’s disease. PEGylation has been shown to help the medicine last longer in the body so dosing can occur once every 4 weeks, after initial dosing.
What clinical studies with CIMZIA have shown
In clinical trials, CIMZIA was shown to reduce or help stop many Crohn's symptoms, such as stomach pain and diarrhea, and to improve general well-being within a few short weeks. One major study involved adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease. The patients in this study were evaluated based on the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), a measurement many researchers use to determine the level of Crohn’s disease activity. The patients participating in the study had CDAI scores ranging from 220 to 450, with a higher score indicating greater disease activity. (If you have questions about the CDAI or about how to use it to track disease improvement, ask your doctor).
As early as Week 2, disease activity decreased—the CDAI dropped by 100 points or more—for a significantly greater number of patients.
The patients in this study who responded to treatment continued receiving CIMZIA and were placed into other clinical studies and followed for a longer period of time. The majority of the patients who continued to receive CIMZIA experienced sustained relief beyond 4 years with no increase in dose.
Patients 65 years of age or older, patients with other long term medical conditions, or taking certain other drugs that affect the immune system, such as corticosteroids or methotrexate, may be at a greater risk of infection.
There have been cases of unusual cancers in children and teenage patients using tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. For people taking TNF blockers, including CIMZIA, the chances of getting lymphoma may increase. People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially more serious RA, may have a higher chance for getting a kind of cancer called lymphoma. CIMZIA is not approved for use in pediatric patients.
Is CIMZIA right for you?
Are you considering a change in treatment for your Crohn's disease, or has your doctor suggested a change? Perhaps your current treatment is not controlling your symptoms. Or, maybe your Crohn's is making it difficult for you to do many of the things you need to do or want to do.
If the time is right for you to change treatment, ask your doctor if CIMZIA is right for you. CIMZIA is a non-steroidal biologic prescription treatment that is used to lessen the signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease in adults who have not been helped enough by usual treatments.
NEXT: CIMZIA FAQs »
