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CIMZIA is for adults only.
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CIMZIA is a prescription biologic medication indicated for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

In clinical trials, CIMZIA was proven versus placebo to provide noticeable RA symptom relief within 24 weeks for the majority of patients and as fast as 1-2 weeks for some patients. In many patients this lasted through 1 year and prevented further joint damage. Your results may vary.

If your doctor has recently prescribed CIMZIA, you may have questions. Get the information and support you need for a smooth transition into treatment with CIMZIA:

What is the most important information I should know about CIMZIA?

CIMZIA is a medicine that affects your immune system. CIMZIA can lower the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Serious infections have happened in patients taking CIMZIA. These infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some patients have died from these infections.
  • Your doctor should test you for TB before starting CIMZIA.
  • Your doctor should monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with CIMZIA.

Before starting CIMZIA, tell your doctor if you:

  • Think you have an infection. You should not start taking CIMZIA if you have any kind of infection.
  • Are being treated for an infection
  • Have signs of an infection, such as a fever, cough, flu-like symptoms
  • Have any open cuts or sores on your body
  • Get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back
  • Have diabetes
  • Have HIV
  • Have tuberculosis (TB), or have been in close contact with someone with TB
  • Were born in, lived in, or traveled to countries where there is more risk for getting TB. Ask your doctor if you are not sure.
  • Live or have lived in certain parts of the country (such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys) where there is an increased risk for getting certain kinds of fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis). These infections may develop or become more severe if you take CIMZIA. If you do not know if you have lived in an area where histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis is common, ask your doctor.
  • Have or have had hepatitis B
  • Use the medicine Kineret® (anakinra), Orencia® (abatacept), Rituxan® (rituximab), or Tysabri® (natalizumab)

After starting CIMZIA

If you get an infection, any sign of an infection including a fever, cough, flu-like symptoms, or have open cuts or sores on your body, call your doctor right away. CIMZIA can make you more likely to get infections or make any infection that you may have worse. 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.

Certain types of cancer

  • There have been cases of unusual cancers in children and teenage patients using TNF blockers.
  • For people taking TNF blockers, including CIMZIA, the chances of getting lymphoma may increase.
  • People with 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.

What is CIMZIA?

CIMZIA is a medicine called a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker. CIMZIA is used in adult patients to:
  • Lessen the signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD) in adults who have not been helped enough by usual treatments.
  • Treat moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

What should I tell my doctor before starting treatment with CIMZIA?

CIMZIA may not be right for you. Before starting CIMZIA, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
  • Have an infection. (See, 'What is the most important information I should know about CIMZIA?")
  • Have or have had any type of cancer.
  • Have congestive heart failure.
  • Have seizures, any numbness or tingling, or a disease that affects your nervous system such as multiple sclerosis.
  • Are scheduled to receive a vaccine. Do not receive a live vaccine while taking CIMZIA.
  • Are allergic to any of the ingredients in CIMZIA.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

CIMZIA has not been studied in pregnant or nursing women.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Your doctor will tell you if it is okay to take your other medicines while taking CIMZIA. Especially, tell your doctor if you take:
  • Kineret® (anakinra), Orencia® (abatacept), Rituxan® (rituximab), Tysabri® (natalizumab). You have a higher chance for serious infections when taking CIMZIA with Kineret®, Orencia®, Rituxan®, or Tysabri®.
  • A TNF blocker: Remicade® (infliximab), Humira® (adalimumab), Enbrel® (etanercept), Simponi™ (golimumab).
You should not take CIMZIA while you take one of these medicines.

NEXT: Getting Started on CIMZIA for RA »