Your doctor may prescribe Truxima if you have a certain kind of cancer or another condition that affects your immune system. Truxima is prescribed to treat the following conditions in adults:
To learn more about Truxima’s uses, see “Is Truxima used for rheumatoid arthritis?” and “Is Truxima used for other conditions?” below.
The active ingredient in Truxima is rituximab-abbs. (The active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It belongs to a group of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, and it’s a kind of immunotherapy.
Truxima is a biologic drug. A biologic is made from living cells, while other drugs are made from chemicals. Drugs made from chemicals can have generic versions, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, can’t be copied exactly.
Therefore, instead of a generic, a biologic has a biosimilar. Biosimilars are “similar” to the parent drug and are considered just as effective and safe. Like generic-name drugs, biosimilars are often less expensive than brand-name drugs. Truxima is a biosimilar version of the brand-name rituximab (Rituxan).
Truxima comes as a liquid solution given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into a vein given over time). A healthcare professional will give you Truxima infusions at a hospital or another healthcare facility.
Truxima is a biosimilar version of rituximab (Rituxan), a brand-name biologic drug. (See “Truxima basics” directly above for more information about biosimilar and biologic drugs.)
While Truxima and Rituxan are very similar, they do have some key differences, such as:
(To learn more about Truxima’s uses, see “Is Truxima used for rheumatoid arthritis?” and “Is Truxima used for other conditions?” below.)
To learn more about Truxima and Rituxan, see this detailed comparison. And for more information about which is right for your condition, talk with your doctor.
Like most drugs, Truxima may cause mild to serious side effects. While the lists below describe some of the more common ones, they do not include all the possible side effects.
Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Truxima. They can also suggest ways to help relieve any side effects.
Below is a list of some of the mild side effects Truxima can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read the drug’s prescribing information.
Truxima’s side effects may vary, depending on the condition you’re using the drug to treat.
Mild side effects that have been reported include:
Mild side effects of many drugs go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects from Truxima are possible, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from this drug, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
Serious side effects of Truxima that have been reported include:
* For more information, see the “Allergic reaction” section directly below.
Some people may have an allergic reaction to Truxima. It isn’t clear if this side effect occurred in studies of the drug, but it can still happen.
Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:
A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms can include:
Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Truxima. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
Find answers to some common questions about Truxima below.
Truxima is not approved to treat MS. But the drug can be used off-label for this purpose. (Off-label use is when a drug is used to treat a condition other than those it’s approved for.)
A review of studies has shown that rituximab may be a safe and effective treatment for relapsing-remitting MS and progressive types of MS, such as primary progressive MS.
Truxima belongs to a group of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. Other drugs in this group are FDA-approved for treating MS, such as:
If you’d like guidance about the best treatment option for your MS, talk with your doctor.
Alopecia (hair loss) wasn’t reported as a side effect in Truxima’s studies. But it’s a possible side effect of a very similar drug, rituximab (Rituxan).
Hair loss was reported in a study that looked at Rituxan for treating pemphigus vulgaris. (Truxima isn’t approved to treat this condition. To learn more about Truxima’s uses, see the “Is Truxima used for rheumatoid arthritis?” and “Is Truxima used for other conditions?” sections below.)
If you’re having unusual hair loss during treatment with Truxima, talk with your doctor. They may be able to determine why this is happening and suggest ways to manage it.
A Truxima infusion takes at least 90 minutes. The drug is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into a vein given over time). A healthcare professional will give you the infusions at a hospital or another healthcare facility.
You should allow several hours for your appointment, though. Before the infusion, you’ll likely receive drugs to help prevent or minimize infusion-related reactions. And you’ll need to stay for a while after the infusion. This way, a healthcare professional can treat any infusion side effects that might occur.
Costs of prescription drugs can vary, depending on many factors, such as what your insurance plan covers. To find current prices for Truxima in your area, visit WellRx.com.
Truxima is a biosimilar version of Rituxan (rituximab), a brand-name biologic drug. A biologic is made from living cells, while other drugs are made from chemicals. Drugs made from chemicals can have generic versions, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, can’t be copied exactly.
Therefore, instead of a generic, a biologic has a biosimilar. Biosimilars are “similar” to the parent drug and are considered just as effective and safe. Like generic-name drugs, biosimilars are often less expensive than brand-name drugs.
Talk with your doctor if you have questions about the cost of treatment alternatives, such as Rituxan.
If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also visit the manufacturer’s patient assistance website for information about different support options. And you can check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.
Truxima is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults. RA is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your joints and other healthy tissues. This causes inflammation (swelling and damage) throughout your body.
Truxima is used to reduce the symptoms of moderate to severe active RA. For this use, it’s prescribed with another drug called methotrexate (Trexall, Otrexup, others). Specifically, Truxima is used in adults who have already tried at least one other kind of medication, called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist, but it didn’t work well enough for their RA.
Examples of TNF antagonists include:
Truxima is thought to treat RA by targeting a certain protein that’s on some B cells (a type of white blood cell). Truxima attaches to this protein, which tells your immune system to destroy the B cells. This may reduce inflammation, ease related symptoms, and slow the progression of RA.
Truxima is also used to treat the following conditions in adults:
Truxima treats these conditions in specific situations. Find more details below.
Truxima is thought to work by attaching to certain proteins in your body and destroying B cells (a type of white blood cell). This can help reduce the number of cancerous cells in your body and may also reduce inflammation (swelling and damage). To learn more about how the drug works for your condition, talk with your doctor.
NHL is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. Truxima is used in adults with a certain kind of NHL. To learn more about the drug’s use for this condition, talk with your doctor.
For this use, Truxima is either prescribed alone or along with chemotherapy drugs. Your doctor will tell you more about the kind of NHL you may have and how Truxima can help. They’ll also tell you if you’ll receive any other drugs to treat your cancer.
Truxima is used to treat CLL in adults. This is a kind of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow, where your body makes blood cells.
Truxima is used in adults with a certain kind of CLL. For this use, Truxima is prescribed together with two chemotherapy drugs: cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and fludarabine. Truxima is used in adults who have and those who haven’t had past treatments for their CLL.
GPA is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system attacks your own blood vessels by mistake. This causes inflammation in your blood vessels.
For treating GPA, Truxima is prescribed along with glucocorticoids (commonly called steroids), such as prednisone (Rayos).
MPA is a kind of necrotizing vasculitis, a condition in which you have inflammation in your blood vessels. It’s a rare autoimmune disorder that can damage your smallest blood vessels, called capillaries. The lungs and kidneys are commonly affected because these organs contain networks of capillaries.
For treating MPA, Truxima is prescribed with glucocorticoids (commonly called steroids), such as prednisone.
Truxima may also be used off-label to treat other conditions. (Off-label use is when a drug is used to treat a condition other than those it’s approved for.) Talk with your doctor for more information.
Below are common dosages, but your doctor will determine the dosage you receive.
Truxima comes in vials of liquid solution. The drug will be prepared and given to you by a healthcare professional as an intravenous (IV) infusion. (This is an injection into a vein given over time.) You’ll receive these infusions at a hospital or another healthcare facility.
The dosing schedule for Truxima varies, depending on the condition you’re using it to treat. You may receive your infusion as often as once weekly. Or you may have several weeks or months between infusions. Your doctor will explain how often you’ll receive this drug to treat your condition.
Here are some common questions about Truxima’s dosage.
Your doctor will explain how Truxima will be given to you, how much you’ll be given, and how often.
Truxima comes in vials of liquid solution. The drug will be prepared and given to you by a healthcare professional as an intravenous (IV) infusion. (This is an injection into a vein given over time.) You’ll receive these infusions at a hospital or another healthcare facility.
It takes at least 90 minutes to receive a Truxima infusion. (For more details about this, see “What are some frequently asked questions about Truxima?” above.)
Depending on the condition Truxima is being used to treat, your doctor may prescribe other drugs for you to take along with it. Your doctor can tell you more about whether Truxima is used with other medications for your condition.
You may have questions about Truxima and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.
Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:
Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are available to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.
This section talks about some important things to discuss with your doctor when you’re considering Truxima treatment. They include any other medical conditions and any ongoing treatments you may have.
Using a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.
Truxima can interact with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. Using these drugs together could increase the risk of kidney problems, such as kidney failure.
No other drug interactions with Truxima are known. Still, before starting the treatment, be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter kinds. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you take. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause.
Truxima has several boxed warnings, listed below. These are serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about drug effects that may be dangerous. Truxima’s boxed warnings include:
Truxima may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before starting treatment. Factors to consider include those in the list below.
There are no known interactions between alcohol and Truxima. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much, if any, is safe for you during treatment.
Truxima is not safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. If you can become pregnant, your doctor will likely order a pregnancy test to ensure it’s negative before prescribing Truxima. They’ll also recommend that you use birth control during treatment and for 12 months after your last dose. And you shouldn’t breastfeed for at least 6 months after the treatment ends.
To learn more about the risks of Truxima during pregnancy or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor.
Truxima can be an effective treatment for certain kinds of cancer or some other conditions that affect your immune system. If you and your doctor think Truxima is an option, it’s important to get answers to any questions you have. Here are a few you might consider asking:
In addition to talking with your doctor, you may find these articles and resources helpful:
Is Truxima as effective as Rituxan for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? Are biosimilars just as good as brand-name drugs?
Yes, Truxima should be just as safe and effective as Rituxan for treating RA.
Truxima is a biosimilar version of Rituxan, a brand-name biologic drug. Biosimilars are like generic drugs, but for biologic medications. But it isn’t possible to make an exact copy of a biologic drug because it’s made from parts of living cells.
Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will approve a biosimilar drug, a study must show that the drug is similar to the “parent drug.” (This is the original, brand-name biologic drug.) The study must compare the biosimilar to the parent drug and prove there are no significant differences between how the two medications affect the body. If no major differences are found, new studies are not needed to prove the effectiveness of the biosimilar drug.
Compared with Rituxan, Truxima was found to have no major differences in safety or expected effects in studies. So the FDA’s approval of Truxima as an effective treatment option for RA is based on Rituxan’s performance in studies.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that mainly attacks the synovial tissues around the joints. Learn the prevalence, risk factors…
With rheumatoid arthritis (RA), your immune system attacks your body’s tissues and causes painful swelling of the joints. RA has several telltale…
Leukemia and lymphoma are blood cancers. Learn more about these conditions.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia among western countries. Learn how CLL is diagnosed and staged and the…
Ampullary cancer is a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer that has several treatment options and an excellent outlook when caught early.
Experts say lifestyle factors, in particular obesity, are some of the main reasons the cancer rate among teens and young adults continues to rise
New groups are working to bring improved cancer care to those in rural areas through the use of new technology and programs.
The Biden administration's revamped Cancer Moonshot initiative includes more federal agencies and more programs to advance cancer research
The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that a cancer has spread to after leaving its primary location. Let's discuss how these nodes can be…
Learn about the relationship between myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and anemia, including symptoms to watch out for and treatment options.