Moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Active Ingredient: Sarilumab

Indication for Sarilumab

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)

Sarilumab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) is indicated for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Sarilumab can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to MTX or when treatment with MTX is inappropriat.

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

150-200 mg once every 2 weeks

Route of admnistration

Subcutaneous

Defined daily dose

150 - 200 mg

Dosage regimen

From 150 To 200 mg once every 14 day(s)

Loading dose

200 mg

Detailed description

The recommended dose of sarilumab is 200 mg once every 2 weeks administered as a subcutaneous injection.

Reduction of dose from 200 mg once every 2 weeks to 150 mg once every 2 weeks is recommended for management of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and liver enzyme elevations.

Dose modification

Treatment with sarilumab should be withheld in patients who develop a serious infection until the infection is controlled.

Initiating treatment with sarilumab is not recommended in patients with a low neutrophil count, i.e., absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 2 × 109/L.

Initiating treatment with sarilumab is not recommended in patients with a platelet count below 150 × 103/µL.

Recommended dose modifications in case of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or liver enzyme elevations:

Low Absolute Neutrophil Count:

Lab Value (cells x 109/L) Recommendation
ANC greater than 1 Current dose of sarilumab should be maintained.
ANC 0,5-1Treatment with sarilumab should be withheld until >1 × 109/L. Sarilumab can then be resumed at 150 mg every 2 weeks and increased to 200 mg every 2 weeks as clinically appropriate.
ANC less than 0,5Treatment with sarilumab should be discontinued.

Low Platelet Count:

Lab Value (cells x 103/µL) Recommendation
50 έως 100 Treatment with sarilumab should be withheld until >100 × 103/µL. Sarilumab can then be resumed at 150 mg every 2 weeks and increased to 200 mg every 2 weeks as clinically appropriate.
Less than 50If confirmed by repeat testing, treatment with sarilumab should be discontinued.

Liver Enzyme Abnormalities:

Lab ValueRecommendation
ALT >1 to 3 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN)Clinically appropriate dose modification of concomitant DMARDs should be considered.
ALT >3 έως 5 x ULN Treatment with sarilumab should be withheld until <3 x ULN. sarilumab can then be resumed at 150 mg every 2 weeks and increased to 200 mg every 2 weeks as clinically appropriate.
ALT >5 x ULN Treatment with sarilumab should be discontinued.

Missed dose

If a dose of sarilumab is missed and it has been 3 days or less since the missed dose, the next dose should be administered as soon as possible. The subsequent dose should be administered at the regularly scheduled time. If it has been 4 days or more since the missed dose, the subsequent dose should be administered at the next regularly scheduled time, the dose should not be doubled.

Active ingredient

Sarilumab

Sarilumab is a human monoclonal antibody (IgG1 subtype) that specifically binds to both soluble and membrane-bound IL-6 receptors (IL-6Rα), and inhibits IL-6-mediated signalling which involves ubiquitous signal-transducing glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (STAT-3). In functional human cell-based assays, sarilumab was able to block the IL-6 signalling pathway, measured as STAT-3 inhibition, only in the presence of IL-6.

Read more about Sarilumab

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