Renflexis (Infliximab-Abda) for Psoriasis

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

How Renflexis Works and How It’s Taken

Renflexis is a type of medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker. It works by blocking 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 Renflexis when adults have chronic severe plaque psoriasis that is widespread or disabling. Renflexis is for adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, when other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate. Systemic therapy is treatment that works throughout the body, and phototherapy is treatment with light.

By targeting this pathway, Renflexis may help manage symptoms and slow disease activity.

Renflexis is a biosimilar to 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.

Renflexis is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion. Each infusion is given over at least two hours by a healthcare professional.

Typical Dosing for Plaque Psoriasis

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

The dosing schedule is:

Initial infusion — At week 0
Second infusion — Two weeks later
Third infusion — Six weeks after the first dose
Maintenance treatment — Every eight weeks after that

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

Renflexis Side Effects

In clinical studies of Renflexis, the most common side effects were:

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

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Renflexis 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 through the body.
Lymphoma and other cancers — The chance of lymphoma or other cancers may increase.
Rare hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma — This 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 includes hepatitis, jaundice, cholestasis, and, rarely, liver failure.
Heart failure — New or worsening heart failure is a risk.
Serious blood problems — These include low white blood cell levels, low platelets, or pancytopenia, which can raise infection and bleeding risk.
Severe allergic reactions — Anaphylaxis can cause swelling and trouble breathing.
Serious infusion-related heart or brain events — These include heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, or major blood pressure changes during or within 24 hours after an infusion.
Nervous system problems — These include demyelinating disorders, which 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 Renflexis

Organon, the manufacturer of Renflexis, offers the Organon Access Program for Renflexis.

The program also offers help with insurance coverage questions and eligibility determination.

To learn more, visit the Renflexis cost and coverage page or call 866-809-9515.

What To Know Before Taking Renflexis

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

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

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

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Before starting Renflexis, 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 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 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
Use other biologic medicines that treat the same condition as Renflexis, including abatacept (Orencia), anakinra (Kineret), tocilizumab (Actemra), or similar medicines

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

Renflexis 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 Renflexis, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits.

If you received Renflexis during pregnancy, tell your baby’s doctor before your baby gets any vaccines. Renflexis 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 Renflexis for plaque psoriasis?

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

At week 10, 75 percent to 88 percent of people who received infliximab 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 Renflexis for psoriatic arthritis?

In a study of 200 adults with active psoriatic arthritis, people received infliximab 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, people who received infliximab had better results than people who received placebo:

ACR 20 — 54 percent with infliximab compared with 16 percent with placebo
ACR 50 — 41 percent with infliximab compared with 4 percent with placebo
ACR 70 — 27 percent with infliximab compared with 2 percent with placebo

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

In people who also had psoriasis affecting at least 3 percent of their body, 64 percent of people who received infliximab reached PASI 75 at week 14, compared with 2 percent of people 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 Renflexis for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis if I have an infection?

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

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

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