Avsola (Infliximab-Axxq) for Psoriasis

Avsola (infliximab-axxq) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with chronic severe plaque psoriasis.

How Avsola Works and How It’s Taken

Avsola is a type of biologic medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker. It blocks TNF-alpha, a protein that helps drive inflammation in the body. In plaque psoriasis, this helps reduce inflammation and calm the overactive immune response that leads to severe skin symptoms.

Doctors prescribe Avsola when adults have chronic severe plaque psoriasis that is widespread or disabling, are candidates for systemic therapy, and other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate. Avsola should be given only to people who will be closely monitored and have regular follow-up visits with a doctor.

Systemic therapy works throughout the body.

Avsola is a biosimilar of Remicade. This means it is made from living cells and is designed to work like the original medicine. The FDA requires biosimilars to have no meaningful differences in safety or how well they work.

Avsola is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion. Each infusion lasts at least two hours and is given by a healthcare professional.

Typical Dosing for Plaque Psoriasis

The recommended starting dose of Avsola for psoriasis is 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Your doctor will calculate the dose based on your weight.

The dosing schedule is:

Week 0 — First dose
Week 2 — Second dose
Week 6 — Third dose
Every eight weeks — Maintenance dose

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Avsola Side Effects

In clinical studies of infliximab products, the most common side effects, occurring in more than 10 percent of people, were:

Infections, such as upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, and sore throat
Infusion-related reactions
Headache
Abdominal pain

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Avsola can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Serious infections — These include tuberculosis, invasive fungal infections, and other infections that can spread throughout the body.
Lymphoma and other cancers — The risk for these is higher.
Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma — This rare cancer has been reported mostly in adolescents and young adults with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who were treated with TNF blockers.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation — The virus can become active again in people who carry it.
Liver injury — This can include hepatitis, jaundice, cholestasis (reduced or blocked bile flow), and, rarely, liver failure.
Heart failure — New or worsening heart failure can occur.
Serious blood problems — These can include low white blood cell levels, low platelets, or pancytopenia, which can raise the risk of infection and bleeding.
Severe allergic reactions — Anaphylaxis can cause swelling and trouble breathing.
Serious infusion-related heart or brain events — Heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, or major blood pressure changes can occur during or within 24 hours after an infusion.
Nervous system problems — These can include demyelinating disorders that affect the protective covering of nerves, such as optic neuritis or Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Lupuslike syndrome — This immune reaction can cause symptoms similar to lupus.
New or worsening psoriasis — Psoriasis can start or flare during treatment.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

How To Save on Avsola

Amgen, the manufacturer of Avsola, offers the Amgen SupportPlus Co-Pay Program. Eligible people with commercial insurance may pay as little as $0 out of pocket for each dose.

The Amgen SupportPlus Co-Pay Program also offers help from Amgen SupportPlus Representatives, who can help people understand insurance coverage, copay costs, deductible costs, and the copay program.

To learn more, visit the Amgen SupportPlus Co-Pay Program website or call 866-264-2778.

What To Know Before Taking Avsola

Before starting Avsola, your doctor will test you for active tuberculosis (TB), latent (inactive) TB, and hepatitis B infection.

Before starting Avsola, make sure your vaccines are up to date. You should not receive live vaccines while taking Avsola.

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to Avsola or any of its ingredients.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Also tell your doctor if you use other biologic medicines that treat the same condition as Avsola, including abatacept (Orencia), anakinra (Kineret), tocilizumab (Actemra), or similar medicines.

Tell your doctor if you:

Think you have an infection
Are being treated for an infection
Have signs of an infection, such as fever, cough, or flulike symptoms
Have any open cuts or sores on your body
Get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back
Have diabetes or an immune system problem
Have liver problems
Have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB
Live, have lived, or have traveled in areas where certain fungal infections are common, such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys
Have or have had hepatitis B
Have or have had any type of cancer
Have had phototherapy for psoriasis
Have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a specific type of lung disease
Have or have had a nervous system condition, such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
Have numbness or tingling
Have had a seizure
Have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine

Do not take Avsola if you have had a severe allergic reaction to infliximab products, any inactive ingredients in Avsola, or any murine (mouse) proteins.

Tell your doctor if you have moderate or severe heart failure. People with moderate or severe heart failure should not receive Avsola at doses higher than 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Avsola is also FDA-approved to treat Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis.

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding while taking Avsola, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits.

If you received Avsola during pregnancy, tell your baby’s doctor before your baby receives any vaccines. Avsola may increase your baby’s risk of infection.

Your baby should not receive live vaccines for at least six months after birth. Live vaccines include BCG, rotavirus, and other live vaccines. Some live vaccines can cause serious infections that may lead to death.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Avsola for plaque psoriasis?

In three studies of adults with chronic, stable plaque psoriasis, people received infliximab at 5 milligrams per kilogram or a placebo (an inactive treatment).

At week 10, 75 percent to 88 percent of people who received infliximab at 5 milligrams per kilogram reached PASI 75. This means their psoriasis severity improved by at least 75 percent.

By comparison, 2 percent to 6 percent of people who received placebo reached PASI 75.

These results show that many people had major skin improvement by 10 weeks, but not everyone did.

How effective is Avsola for psoriatic arthritis?

In a study of 200 adults with active psoriatic arthritis, people received infliximab at 5 milligrams per kilogram or placebo.

At week 14, 58 percent of people who received infliximab reached ACR 20, compared with 11 percent of people who received placebo.

At six months, the results included:

ACR 20 — Fifty-four percent with infliximab compared with 16 percent with placebo
ACR 50 — Forty-one percent with infliximab compared with 4 percent with placebo
ACR 70 — Twenty-seven percent with infliximab compared with 2 percent with placebo

ACR 20, ACR 50, and ACR 70 mean that arthritis signs and symptoms improved by at least 20 percent, 50 percent, or 70 percent.

Among people who also had psoriasis affecting at least 3 percent of their body, 64 percent of those who received infliximab reached PASI 75 at week 14, compared with 2 percent of those who received placebo. PASI 75 means psoriasis severity improved by at least 75 percent.

The study also showed that infliximab helped slow joint damage and improve physical function in adults with psoriatic arthritis.

Should I take Avsola for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis if I have an infection?

Avsola should not be started if you have an active infection. This includes a medically important infection in one area of the body.

Avsola can raise the risk of serious infections. These include tuberculosis, fungal infections, bacterial infections, viral infections, and other infections that may occur when the immune system is weakened.

Your doctor should monitor you for signs of infection during and after treatment with Avsola. If you develop a serious infection or sepsis, Avsola should be stopped. Sepsis is a severe reaction to infection that can be life-threatening.