LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Remicade: Infusions
built 626 days ago
Like all of the TNF inhibitors, Remicade is an expensive medication, costing about $1000 for a 100mg dose, and is covered by almost every medical insurance plan. It is administered every 6-8 weeks, with an initial startup requiring smaller time frames between infusions. According to the labeling, the current posology is:
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In the first study, eight out of 10 patients receiving Remicade achieved 75 percent improvement in psoriasis by week 10. Similar results were seen in the second study. Six months into the studies, these results were maintained by maintenance infusions given every eight weeks. The majority of patients who continued on this regimen achieved 75 percent improvement at week 50, the last visit in both studies.
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A nurse or assistant mixes the powdered form of the Remicade with sterile water. The solution is injected into a large bag of sterile clear water for the infusion. Tubing is connected to the bag and the bag is attached atop an IV pole. The nurse then applies a tourniquet over an arm that has a visible vein. The vein is rubbed with alcohol and a fine needle catheter is inserted into the vein. (A catheter is a plastic tube with an attachment on one end into which tubing can be attached.
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Researchers found that 57 percent of patients (311/545) responded to a single infusion of Remicade at two weeks of treatment. Among responders, significantly more patients receiving maintenance treatment with Remicade 5mg/kg achieved clinical remission at week 30 (39 percent) compared to placebo maintenance patients (25 percent). Additionally, patients in the Remicade maintenance groups had a longer time to loss of response than patients in the placebo maintenance group.
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These side effects are generally mild and did not cause most patients to stop taking Remicade. These events happened most often after the first Remicade infusion and may decrease after additional infusions.
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