II. Indications
III. Contraindications
IV. Dosing
- See Monoclonal Antibody for preparation for use
- Dosing
- Start: 400 mg SQ every other week at weeks 0, 2 and 4
- Next: 400 mg SQ every 4 weeks
- Background
- Injection sites include thigh and Abdomen (rotate injection sites)
- Divide 400 mg dose into 2 separate injection sites
- Available as a Preloaded syringe
- Refrigerate and protect from light
- Allow to warm to room Temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before injection (decreased pain)
- Injection sites include thigh and Abdomen (rotate injection sites)
V. Mechanism
- See Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor
- Monoclonal Antibody against human Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha
VI. Precautions
- See TNF Inhibitor
- TNF Inhibitors predispose to serious infections and malignancy
- Prepare for TNF Inhibitor use with infection screening (e.g. Tuberculosis) and Immunizations
VII. Adverse Effects
- See Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor
- Mild to moderate Injection site reactions (<10% of patients)
VIII. Safety
- Considered safe in Lactation
- Pregnancy
- May use in pregnancy (any trimester) if indicated and benefit outweighs risk
- Fetal exposure risk does NOT appear to increase after 20 weeks (unlike other TNF Inhibitors)
IX. Resources
- Certolizumab Injection Kit (DailyMed)
X. References
- Hamilton (2020) Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia
- (2023) Biologics for Crohn's Disease, Presc Lett, #390826
- (2023) Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Med Lett Drug Ther 65: 105-12
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