Ilumya Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Ilumya Injection (tildrakizumab-asmn) is a prescription biologic medicine given as an injection under the skin by a healthcare professional. It belongs to a class of medicines called interleukin-23 inhibitors and is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults. It works by blocking a protein in the immune system that contributes to the skin cell buildup seen in psoriasis.

What is Ilumya Injection

Ilumya is a prescription biologic medicine given as an injection under the skin by a healthcare professional. It is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults. Its generic name is tildrakizumab-asmn, and it belongs to the interleukin-23 inhibitor (monoclonal antibody) drug class.

Ilumya Injection uses

• Treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who may benefit from injections, pills (systemic therapy), or phototherapy (UV light treatment)

Benefits of Ilumya Injection

• Helps manage plaque psoriasis and decrease signs and symptoms of the condition
• Can help clear and prevent psoriasis plaques by targeting the immune system from the inside
• Treats moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis
• Helps reduce skin plaques

How Ilumya Injection works

Ilumya is a monoclonal antibody that blocks a protein in the immune system called interleukin-23 (IL-23). In plaque psoriasis, IL-23 triggers the immune system to attack skin cells, causing them to grow too fast and build up into itchy, scaly patches. By blocking IL-23, Ilumya helps reduce this skin cell buildup and the plaques it causes.

Ilumya Injection dosage

Ilumya is given as an injection under the skin by a healthcare professional in a doctor's office or medical facility — it is not self-administered at home. The first and second doses are given four weeks apart, and later doses are given every 12 weeks. It may take several weeks of treatment before you notice results, since the medicine needs time to build up in your system. If you miss a scheduled appointment for your dose, call to arrange another appointment as soon as possible. Ilumya is not known to be safe or effective for use in children under 18 years of age.

Available forms and strengths

• Solution for injection

Side effects of Ilumya Injection

Common

• Upper respiratory infections, sore throat, or common cold symptoms
• Pain, itching, redness, or swelling at the injection site
• Diarrhea

Serious

• Severe allergic reactions (feeling faint, trouble breathing or throat tightness, swelling of face/eyelids/lips/mouth/tongue/throat, chest tightness, skin rash, hives, racing heart, dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, stomach cramps, joint pain)
• Serious infections (fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, weight loss, cough or coughing up blood, shortness of breath, diarrhea or stomach pain, burning or more frequent urination, warm/red/painful skin or sores different from psoriasis)
• Tuberculosis (TB) reactivation, especially in people with a history of TB

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use Ilumya if you have had a severe allergic reaction to it or any of its ingredients.
• Ilumya can lower your immune system's ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections, including serious ones.
• Your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before you start Ilumya, and may treat you for TB first if you have a history of it or active TB. You'll be watched closely for signs of TB during and after treatment.
• Avoid live vaccines while being treated with Ilumya, since the medicine affects how your immune system responds and may make it harder to fight off the weakened virus in the vaccine.
• Tell your doctor about any ongoing or recurring infections, past TB, or close contact with someone who has TB before starting treatment.
• It isn't known if Ilumya is safe during pregnancy or if it can harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant so you can discuss the benefits and risks together.
• It isn't known if Ilumya passes into breast milk. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.
• No routine kidney dose adjustment is generally required.
• Ilumya is broken down inside cells throughout the body rather than by liver enzymes, so it generally doesn't interact with other drugs the way many liver-metabolized medicines do.
• There are no known direct interactions between alcohol and Ilumya, but alcohol can cause diarrhea too, which may add to this common side effect. Alcohol may also increase inflammation, weaken your immune system's ability to fight infection, and make it harder to stick to your treatment plan, all of which could make Ilumya less effective.
• Ilumya is not generally expected to impair driving.

Storage

• Store Ilumya in the original carton in a refrigerator, between 36 F and 46 F (2 C and 8 C)
• Do not freeze Ilumya
• You can store Ilumya for up to 30 days at room temperature, between 68 F and 77 F (20 C and 25 C), in the original carton to protect it from light
• Do not store Ilumya above 77 F (25 C)
• Throw Ilumya away after 30 days if kept at room temperature
• If stored at room temperature for less than 30 days, do not place Ilumya back in the refrigerator

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as feeling faint, trouble breathing or throat tightness, swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, chest tightness, or a skin rash.
• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have signs of an infection, such as fever, sweats or chills, muscle aches, weight loss, cough, warm/red/painful skin or sores different from your psoriasis, diarrhea or stomach pain, shortness of breath, burning or frequent urination, or blood in your phlegm.
• If you think you've used too much Ilumya, get medical help right away.

Alternatives

• Skyrizi
• Tremfya
• Stelara
• Cosentyx