For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who have severe active disease (greater than or equal to 5 swollen joints and rheumatoid factor positive and/or, anti-CCP positive, and/or radiographic evidence of rheumatoid arthritis) and have experienced failure, intolerance, or…
For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who have severe active disease (greater than or equal to 5 swollen joints and rheumatoid factor positive and/or, anti-CCP positive, and/or radiographic evidence of rheumatoid arthritis) and have experienced failure, intolerance, or have a contraindication to adequate trials of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) treatment regimens, such as one of the following combinations of treatments: A. i) Methotrexate (20mg/week) for at least 3 months, AND ii) leflunomide (20mg/day) for at least 3 months, in addition to iii) an adequate trial of at least one combination of DMARDs for 3 months; OR B. i) Methotrexate (20mg/week) for at least 3 months, AND ii) leflunomide in combination with methotrexate for at least 3 months; OR C. i) Methotrexate (20mg/week), sulfasalazine (2g/day) and hydroxychloroquine (400mg/day) for at least 3 months. (Hydroxychloroquine is based by weight up to 400mg per day.) Maintenance/Renewal: After 12 months of treatment, maintenance therapy is funded for patients with objective evidence of at least a 20 percent reduction in swollen joint count and a minimum of improvement in 2 swollen joints over the previous year. For renewals beyond the second year, the patient must demonstrate objective evidence of preservation of treatment effect. Therapy must be prescribed by a rheumatologist or a physician with expertise in rheumatology. Recommended dose: Refer to the product monograph for full instructions. Loading dose of 120mg subcutaneous (SC) at week 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, followed by maintenance with 120mg SC infliximab every 2 weeks thereafter. OR If intravenous loading doses of infliximab are given to initiate treatment, 2 intravenous infusions of infliximab 3mg/kg should be given 2 weeks apart, and the first dose of 120mg infliximab SC should be initiated 4 weeks after the second IV infliximab dose. Maintenance dose: 120mg SC once every 2 weeks. Infliximab SC should be given in combination with methotrexate. Note: There is insufficient information available to inform the use of appropriate SC dosing in patients who are using infliximab intravenously at doses greater than 3mg/kg for rheumatoid arthritis.