What is Humira, and what Humira is used for?

Humira is a brand name of Adalimumab drug manufactured by AbbVie company in the United States. It is a tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker that is used to reduce the effectiveness of such substances that create inflammation in the body. Humira is a multi-role drug you may be confused about what Humira is used for principally.

Humira (adalimumab) drug is used for several types of pain and inflammation conditions in adult patients like Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, plaque psoriasis, and skin conditions called hidradenitis suppurative.

Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug that inactivates tumor necrosis alpha (TNFa). Humira is its first brand name launched by AbbVie who invented the drug.

Humira a billion-dollar drug!

Humira is a newly developed drug by AbbVie, an American drug company. It was the number 1 top-selling medicine in 2018 with 18.4 billion US dollars.

Cost of Humira Injection

The cost of two subcutaneous kits (10 mg/ 0.1ml) is about $7389. It is a month-long supply for a patient.

Humira is a newly developed medicine so only one company AbbVie is manufacturing this drug because they have its patent rights. The drug was approved by FDA in 2016 for sale in the United States.

Regeneron Vs Humira in rheumatoid arthritis?

Humira drug class?

As it is earlier told that Adalimumab is a class of drugs known as TNF blockers. This medication reduces joint swelling, which helps to reduce further joint damage and preserve joint functioning. Humira is also used to treat certain medical conditions (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) and certain eye diseases that are known as uveitis.

Humira is not a Steroid

Many people think that Humira is a steroid drug which is not true, in fact, it is the first non-corticosteroid therapy approved by FDA. It is available for posterior and panuveitis, a rare inflammation of the middle pigmented layer of the eye.

The generic name of Humira is adalimumab.

What is the dosage of Humira drug?

Humira is used in adult patients, on day 1, 80 mg ( 2 pens) of Humira is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) by injection. After 8 days 40mg (one pen) of the drug a maintenance dose is administered. Thereafter, 40mg (1 pen) is given after every 8 days.

It is highly recommended that you do not take this drug without the prescription and observations of a doctor.

How do you administer Humira injection to the body?

It is available in the form of an injection that is administered under the skin subcutaneously.

How does Humira work?

Humira (adalimumab) primarily acts as binding the TNF alpha and inflammation-causing proteins by blocking the interaction with unaffected healthy cells. The process helps to control systemic inflammation. So that the symptoms of Crohn’s disease are avoided. Humira was launched after very long-term studies and clinical trials.

Storage of Humira:

Humira injections should be stored at a temperature between 2oC to 8oC.

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Alternative brands of Humira (Adalimumab 40 mg) in India?

In India, there are lots of alternative brands of Humira ( adalimumab 40 mg Inj.) the list is given below:

Sr. No.	Brand name	Mfg. company	MRP
1.	Adfrar 40mg Injection(Pfs) 1’s (Adalimumab 40 mg)	Torrent Pharmaceuticals	₹ 27475/-
2	Adaly 40mg Injection 0.8ml (Adalimumab 40 mg)	Glenmark Pharmaceuticals	₹ 24900/
3	Plamumab 40mg Injection 1’S (Adalimumab 40 mg)	Cipla Ltd	₹ 18000/-
4	Mabura 40mg Injection 1ml (Adalimumab 40 mg)	Hetero Healthcare Ltd	₹ 25000/-
5	Envira 40mg Injection 0.8ml	Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd.	₹ 23437/-
6	Cipleumab 40mg Prefilled Syringe 0.8ml	Cipla Ltd	₹ 18000/-
7	Adalirel 40mg Injection 1’S	Reliance Formulation Pvt Ltd.	₹ 22000/

alternative-brands-of-humira

What Humira is used for or Uses of Humira (Adalimumab)

Humira (adalimumab) has several uses in adult patients, details of uses are listed below:
Used in Rheumatoid arthritis in adults
Helpful in ulcerative colitis in adults
Effective in ankylosing spondylitis in adults.
Used in juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children of ages 2 years and older.
This drug is very useful in psoriatic arthritis in adults
It is also used in hidradenitis suppurativa in adults and children above 6 years.
Very effective in adults of plaque psoriasis.

How to find Humira in India?

There are lots of brands in India that contain adalimumab 40mg in an injection in the form of a syringe and pen. If you are searching Humira in India it is very hard to find because it is imported from the United States and would cost high due to high dumping duty on imported drugs. The best option is to buy an Indian-origin product that has similar quality and efficacy like Adfrar 40mg, Adaly 40mg, Plamumab 40mg, Mabura 40mg, Envira 40mg, etc. These products are manufactured by Indian Pharmaceutical companies like Cipla, Hetero Healthcare, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.

Why is Humira so popular?

Humira has the most advanced mechanism of action that attracts people because it does not lead to any side effects that other traditional arthritis drugs lead to. The effectiveness of Humira is very high in comparison to other drugs which also makes it more popular among all pain and arthritis, and Crohn’s disease medicines.

However, the cost of Humira is very high and it is found out of reach of many people but still, due to its effectiveness in pain, it is a very popular drug.

Side effects of Humira?

Humira is a drug that has lots of medicinal uses, along with massive uses it has some critical side effects that can not be ignored by anyone. It can lower down your immune system and infections can catch you more frequently than before the use of Humira.

Possible side effects of Humira (adalimumab) are given below:

Joint and muscle pain
Easy bruising or bleeding
Medium to high fever
Swollen Glands, and night sweats.
Feeling lightheaded or short of breath.
Yellow skin or pale skin
To be cold of hands and feet
Loss of appetite or eating disorder.
Sudden weight loss.

Adalimumab injection for covid-19

In the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were random trials of different drugs for the treatment of Covid. Adalimumab was also among those drugs that were found effective for the treatment of COVID-19. After various studies found that the use of Adalimumab reduced the complications of Covid-19 patients.

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Cases of Increased RBC after 3 Humira injections

There are good chances of blood dyscrasias or infection including persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, and pallor after using Adalimumab. The use of the Humira (Adalimumab) drug can cause serious blood disorders. So it is always suggested never to take this medicine without recommendations and supervision of a doctor.

Frequently asked questions:

Q- What is Adalimumab injection composition and price?

Adalimumab injections contains Adalimumab 40mg per ml. The price of Adalimumab injection in India varies from ₹ 18000/- (Plamumab 40mg of Cipla Ltd) to ₹ 27475/- ( Adfrar 40 mg Torrent Pharmaceuticals).

Q-Does adalimumab contain ibrutinib?

No, adalimumab does not contain ibrutinib, both are different molecules that come under different brands in the market, however, both drugs are used in several types of arthritis and spondylitis.

How much GST charged on Adalimumab injectionThe adalimumab injection is sold under HSN number 30021500 and the rate of GST on adalimumab injection is charged 12%.

Q-Does Humira Pen available in Jalandhar?

ANS-If you are looking for a Humira pen in Jalandhar it is very hard to find the same brand in the city because it is an imported drug, you can easily find Plamumab (Cipla), Adfrar 40mg ( Torrent Pharma), or Adaly 40mg ( Glenmark Pharma) all products are same ingredients as in Humira and same efficacy.

Q-How to purchase inj adalimumab 40 mg?

ANS-You can purchase adalimumab injection only on the prescription of a doctor, these medicines can never be used without the doctor’s advice. You can also purchase this medicine from online pharmacy websites like Netmeds, etc,

Q- Is Humira a chemotherapy drug?

ANS-Not Humira is not a chemotherapy drug, it is a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker. It is used in Crohn’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis

Q-Where can we get an adalimumab injection in Kochi?

ANS-If you are looking for a Humira pen in Kochi, it is very hard to find the same brand in the city because it is an imported drug, you can easily find Plamumab (Cipla), Adfrar 40mg ( Torrent Pharma), or Adaly 40mg ( Glenmark Pharma) all products are same ingredients as in Humira and same efficacy.

References:

Hetero launches HumiraTM biosimilar in India- The Economics Times
Drug Use Investigation for Humira® – All Patient Investigation for Rheumatoid Arthritis[Wikidata.org]
Adalimumab. North Chicago, Illinois: Abbott Laboratories; 2002 [revised Jan. 2008]. [Accessed 25 Jan. 2019] (online) Available from: Data
Furst DE, Ulrich RW, Varkey-Altamirano C. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs, Nonopioids Analgesics, & Drugs Used in Gout. In: Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited; 2009. p. 633.
Humira (Adalimumab)-Medical News Today
The Biosimilar Landscape: An Overview of Regulatory Approvals by the EMA and FDA-MDPI Pharmaceutics.

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