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What is Tocilizumab
Tocilizumab is a humanized interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody produced in mammalian (Chinese hamster ovary) cells.
In patients with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, IL-6 concentrations correlate with disease activity and joint or tissue damage.
In adults, tocilizumab is FDA approved for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Brand Name
Actemra
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- anaphylactic shock
- anaphylactoid reactions
- angioedema
- antibody formation
- arthralgia
- candidiasis
- cough
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- dyspnea
- elevated hepatic enzymes
- fatigue
- gastritis
- GI perforation
- headache
- hepatic failure
- hepatitis
- hepatotoxicity
- hypercholesterolemia
- hyperlipidemia
- hypertension
- hypertriglyceridemia
- hypotension
- infection
- infusion-related reactions
- injection site reaction
- jaundice
- macrophage activation syndrome
- neutropenia
- new primary malignancy
- optic neuritis
- oral ulceration
- pancreatitis
- peripheral neuropathy
- pharyngitis
- pruritus
- rash
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- thrombocytopenia
- urticaria
- visual impairment
- weakness
Monitoring Parameters
- CBC with differential
- LFTs
- platelet count
- serum lipid profile
Contraindications
- breast-feeding
- children
- corticosteroid therapy
- diabetes mellitus
- diverticulitis
- fungal infection
- geriatric
- GI perforation
- hepatic disease
- hepatitis
- hepatitis B exacerbation
- hepatotoxicity
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- hypercholesterolemia
- hyperlipidemia
- hypertriglyceridemia
- immunosuppression
- infants
- infection
- influenza
- jaundice
- labor
- multiple sclerosis
- neonates
- neoplastic disease
- neurological disease
- neutropenia
- new primary malignancy
- obstetric delivery
- pregnancy
- sepsis
- surgery
- thrombocytopenia
- tuberculosis
- vaccination
Interactions
- Abatacept
- Acetaminophen; Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Doxylamine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Alfentanil
- Amlodipine; Atorvastatin
- Amoxicillin; Clarithromycin; Omeprazole
- Anakinra
- Apixaban
- Aspirin, ASA; Omeprazole
- Atorvastatin
- Atorvastatin; Ezetimibe
- Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Vaccine, BCG
- Baricitinib
- Basiliximab
- Belladonna Alkaloids; Ergotamine; Phenobarbital
- Brompheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin
- Caffeine; Ergotamine
- Canakinumab
- Carbamazepine
- Carbinoxamine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan
- Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Cisapride
- Cyclosporine
- Daclizumab
- Dexchlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Dextromethorphan
- Dextromethorphan; Diphenhydramine; Phenylephrine
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Potassium Guaiacolsulfonate
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Pseudoephedrine
- Dextromethorphan; Promethazine
- Dextromethorphan; Quinidine
- Dihydroergotamine
- Efalizumab
- Ergotamine
- Ethosuximide
- Everolimus
- Ezetimibe; Simvastatin
- Fentanyl
- Fosphenytoin
- Hydrocortisone
- Influenza Virus Vaccine
- Intranasal Influenza Vaccine
- Live Vaccines
- Lovastatin
- Lovastatin; Niacin
- Measles Virus; Mumps Virus; Rubella Virus; Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
- Measles/Mumps/Rubella Vaccines, MMR
- Muromonab-CD3
- Niacin; Simvastatin
- Ofatumumab
- Omeprazole
- Omeprazole; Amoxicillin; Rifabutin
- Omeprazole; Sodium Bicarbonate
- Oral Contraceptives
- Phenytoin
- Pimozide
- Quinidine
- Rituximab
- Rituximab; Hyaluronidase
- Rivaroxaban
- Rotavirus Vaccine
- Rubella Virus Vaccine Live
- Sarilumab
- Secukinumab
- Simvastatin
- Simvastatin; Sitagliptin
- Sirolimus
- Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Nonreplicating
- Smallpox Vaccine, Vaccinia Vaccine
- Tacrolimus
- Theophylline, Aminophylline
- Thioridazine
- Tizanidine
- Tofacitinib
- Tumor Necrosis Factor modifiers
- Typhoid Vaccine
- Upadacitinib
- Ustekinumab
- Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccine, Live
- Warfarin
- Yellow Fever Vaccine, Live