Ixekizumab Injection
Ixekizumab injection is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (a skin disease in which red, scaly patches form on some areas of the body) in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose psoriasis is too severe to be treated by topical medications alone. It is also used alone or in combination with certain medications such as methotrexate (Rasuvo, Trexall, others) to treat psoriatic arthritis (a condition that causes joint pain and swelling and scales on the skin) in adults. Ixekizumab injection is also used to treat ankylosing spondylitis (a condition in which the body attacks the joints of the spine and other areas, causing pain and joint damage) in adults. It is also used to treat active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (a condition in which the body attacks the joints of the spine and other areas causing pain and signs of swelling, but without changes seen on x-ray) in adults, Ixekizumab injection is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by blocking the action of a certain natural substance in the body that causes the symptoms of psoriasis.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Ixekizumab injection comes as a solution (liquid) in a prefilled syringe and as a prefilled autoinjector to inject subcutaneously (under the skin). To treat plaque psoriasis in adults, it is usually given as two injections for the first dose, followed by one injection every 2 weeks for the next 6 doses, and then one injection every 4 weeks. To treat plaque psoriasis in children, it is usually given as one or two injections for the first dose, depending on the weight of the child, followed by one injection every 4 weeks. To treat psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, it is usually given as two injections for the first dose, followed by one injection every 4 weeks. To treat non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, it is usually given as one injection every 4 weeks.
You may receive your first dose of ixekizumab injection in your doctor’s office. If you are an adult, your doctor may allow you or a caregiver to perform the ixekizumab injections at home after your first dose. If you have vision or hearing problems, you will need a caregiver to give you injections. If your child weighs 110 pounds (50 kg) or less, ixekizumab injection must be given in a doctor’s office. If your child weighs more than 110 pounds, your doctor may allow a caregiver to perform the injections at home. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you or the person who will be injecting the medication how to inject and prepare it.
Use each syringe or autoinjector only once and inject all the solution in the syringe or autoinjector. Dispose of used syringes and autoinjector in a puncture-resistant container. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how to dispose of the puncture-resistant container.
Remove the prefilled syringe or autoinjector from the refrigerator. Place it on a flat surface without removing the needle cap and allow it warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before you are ready to inject the medication. Do not try to warm the medication by heating it in a microwave, placing it in hot water, leaving it in sunlight, or through any other method.
Do not shake a syringe or autoinjector that contains ixekizumab.
In studies, the artificial intelligence (AI) technology used in some online health services for preliminary screening before connecting patients with a doctor actually outperformed real physicians in terms of reaching an accurate diagnosis, CNN AI technology correctly diagnosed conditions in 81% of patients, compared to a 72% average for accurate diagnoses among real physicians over a five-year period.
Always look at ixekizumab solution before injecting it. Check that the expiration date has not passed and that the liquid is clear or slightly yellow. The liquid should not contain visible particles. Do not use a syringe or autoinjector if it is cracked or broken, if it is expired or frozen, or if the liquid is cloudy or contains small particles.
You can inject ixekizumab injection anywhere on the front of your thighs (upper leg) or abdomen (stomach) except your navel and the area 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) around it. If you have a caregiver to inject the medication, the back of the upper arm may also be used. To reduce the chances of soreness or redness, use a different site for each injection. Do not inject into an area where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard or where you have scars or stretch marks. Do not inject ixekizumab into an area affected by psoriasis.
