Humira Versus Remicade

For those who suffer from Crohn’s Disease, there are only a few medications that are recommended for controlling this condition. Humira and Remicade are the most popular and each of them has their proponents when it come their effectiveness.

Both drugs are considered to be anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy or TNF with only a few differences between each drug. Each drug has enjoyed a considerable amount of success when it comes to treating the effects of Crohn’s Disease. Plus, both drugs enjoy a healthy fan base from those who swear by the results. It does seem that barring any unusual side effects, each drug has roughly the same effect over time which makes them quite popular.

Interestingly enough, so far there has not been a study which directly compared the two drugs. But which one is better when it comes to treating Crohn’s Disease and the other conditions which it is prescribed? The answer will depend in part on your particular condition and your reaction to each drug.

Remicade was first developed and approved for use against Crohn’s Disease back in 1998. It is a combination of a mouse and human antibodies that works to stall the disease in its tracks. Humira is very similar to Remicade in terms of its ingredients, but it does not have the mouse antibody inside.

Humira vs. Remicade

The truth is that both drugs are very similar in their makeup save for the mouse protein that is found in Remicade. The addition of the mouse protein has resulted in a few people having an allergic reaction, something that is not present in Humira. However, the number of people who are allergic is a small one, so the differences are rather minimal after that.

There is also a difference in how each drug is administered. Remicade must be infused every 6 to 8 weeks while Humira only requires a shot every 2 weeks. When you consider the time it takes for the infusion process, many people prefer Humira because the shots take up far less time. In this manner, Humira does offer an advantage for those who have less time to treat their condition.

The studies that have been performed on both drugs indicate that Humira is not quite as effective as Remicade in the early stages, but after one year both drugs have pretty much the same effect. There are indications that certain people may build up immunity to Remicade which makes it less effective over time, but these studies are still in the early stages. Plus, many doctors seem to prefer Remicade because it has been on the market longer and the results are easier to gauge which makes adjustments simpler to perform.

However, it must be stated that both drugs are very effective at what they do with the differences themselves being rather minimal. What also can be said is that many patients who have tried both seem to have issues with one, but not the other despite the fact that both are nearly identical.