Remicade Infusion Therapy

Remicade is a biologic therapy that is indicated to treat:

• Moderately to severe active ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• Psoriatic or Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Plaque psoriasis

What Is Remicade?

Remicade (infliximab) is a prescription medication administered for patients in all IVX Health centers via IV infusion. Remicade has been used to treat a variety of complex chronic conditions for over twenty years. Remicade also has several biosimilar formulations, including Avsola, Renflexis and generic infliximab. A biosimilar a biologic therapy that has been approved and licensed by the FDA and has shown to have no clinically meaningful difference from an existing therapy, known as the “reference product.”

NOTE: Due to its cost, certain payors have added Remicade and several of its biosimilars to their Medical Necessity List, indicating that a patient must first fail a series of other therapies before Remicade may be authorized for reimbursement. To inquire whether a specific health plan covers Remicade, please use the Contact Us form.

How Remicade Works

Remicade works by targeting and blocking the protein tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which, when overproduced by the white blood cells, causes the immune system to attack healthy cells.

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What Is Remicade Used For?

Doctors order infliximab to treat several medical conditions.

Remicade treats:

• Moderately to severe active ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• Psoriatic or Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Plaque psoriasis

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Remicade Infusion Dosage and Administration

Patients receive infliximab intravenously. Treatment time for a Remicade infusion at a medical clinic like IVX Health usually lasts from two to three hours.

Dosage and Frequency

Before receiving their first intravenous infusion of infliximab, the ordering physician determines the patient’s dose. This dose depends on the patient’s weight as well as the severity of the condition for which he or she is receiving treatment.

Patients typically receive their initial dose and return for another treatment two weeks later. After the second dose, patients return in four weeks for their third intravenous infusion of Remicade.

Following the third IV infusion, patients usually return to IVX Health for Remicade IV infusion therapy every six to eight weeks.

Administering Remicade via IV Infusion

1. The nurse prepares the patient’s arm by using rubbing alcohol to sterilize the location that is being used to insert the IV needle.
2. Following needle insertion, the IV line is held in place with tape.
3. The nurse attaches the patient’s IV line to the line coming down from the bag of medication.

Every half-an-hour, the patient’s nurse takes his or her vitals.

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Remicade Infusion Side Effects

As with all medications, side effects are possible.

Acute reactions that can occur during treatment or within 24 hours of Remicade IV infusion therapy include:

• Heart palpitations
• Fever
• Pain in the chest
• Nausea
• Itching
• Sweating
• Flushing
• Blood pressure variations
• Breathing difficulties

Delayed reactions most often occur 24 hours to 14 days following an IV infusion with infliximab. These reactions may include a rash, joint aches, muscle aches, and lethargy.

Rare side effects that can occur during or following a Remicade treatment include:

• A severe infection (e.g., pneumonia, tuberculosis, sepsis)
• Injury to the liver
• Cancers (e.g., lymphoma, skin, cervical)
• Neurologic disease
• Blood disorders
• An allergic reaction to the protein in infliximab

While receiving Remicade, or following a treatment, symptoms can be addressed with the appropriate medication (such as acetaminophen, steroids, antihistamines, or epinephrine). During treatment at a Remicade infusion clinic, reactions generally subside once the rate of infusion slows.

Following treatment, patients need to inform their referring doctor if they develop skin growths, as well as open or painful sores. In addition, the physician needs to know if the patient is experiencing flu-like symptoms or has a poor appetite.

To decrease the likelihood of the patient experiencing another reaction, he or she may be advised to take certain medications before the next IV infusion treatment with infliximab.

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How To Prepare for a Remicade Infusion

It is essential that patients inform their physician if they currently have, or have had, any of the conditions listed below:

• Heart failure
• Tuberculosis
• Cancer
• Serious infections
• Blood problems
• A liver injury
• Hepatitis B
• A nervous system disorder (e.g., multiple sclerosis or seizures)
• Are allergic to any of Remicade’s ingredients

Before treatment, patients should get a good night’s sleep. In addition, they need to drink an adequate amount of fluid and eat a meal before their Remicade IV infusion treatment at IVX Health.

During treatment with Remicade, patients need to avoid receiving live vaccines.

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How to Get a Referral for Remicade IV Infusions

Every Remicade referral must be accompanied by a physician’s order for treatment.

• Patient information should include:
• Name
• Current address
• Home and mobile phone number
• Insurance information

Information the physician must include on the patient’s order for Remicade IV therapy:

• Patient’s name and DOB
• Order date
• Diagnosis
• Physician’s name and NPI#
• Office address, phone and fax numbers
• Provider’s signature

Supporting clinical documentation from the physician should include:

• Result of Tuberculosis (TB) skin/ lab testing
• Hepatitis B status & date
• Patients current weight and height
• Clinicals to support one or more of the following:
  • Patient has active moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD)
  • Patient has active moderately to severely active Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
  • Patient has Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
  • Patient has Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Patient has Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Patient has Plaque Psoriasis

If you or someone you care about has one of the conditions that Remicade infusions treat, you may want to learn more about IV infusion treatments with infliximab. To find an IVX Health infusion center near you, please click here.

Patients chose IVX Health to receive their ongoing Remicade treatments because:

• ALL private suites
• Comfortable recliners, with chairs for guests
• Evening & weekend appointments
• Friendly clinical staff deliver personal service
• Big screen TVs, high-speed WiFi, free snacks