NICE has published Evidence Summary 29, Remsima (infliximab biosimilar) for subcutaneous injection for managing rheumatoid arthritis.
Remsima is a biosimilar monoclonal antibody of infliximab that inhibits the activity of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‑alpha. It has a marketing authorisation for managing rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methotrexate.
As with all biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, Remsima would be prescribed and initiated in secondary care. Unlike intravenous infliximab, which is usually administered in secondary care rheumatology clinics, Remsima can be self-administered if the patient or a family member or carer has been given the appropriate training.
Remsima is most likely to be used in people:
- who are already established on intravenous infliximab
- with stable disease but who have difficulty attending hospital appointments
- in whom the risk of attending hospital for intravenous infusions outweighs the benefits.
It may also be beneficial for people who are starting on infliximab who have not used a biologic before, or who are switching from a biologic with a different mechanism of action to TNF‑alpha inhibitors.