Cosentyx vs Humira: What You Should Know

Cosentyx and Humira generics or biosimilars

See the following lists to find out whether Cosentyx or Humira is available as a biosimilar. (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.)

• Cosentyx:
  • Available as a biosimilar: no
  • Active ingredient: secukinumab
• Humira:
  • Available as a biosimilar: yes
  • Active ingredient: adalimumab

If your doctor prescribes Cosentyx or Humira and you’re interested in using the biosimilar version instead, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Uses for Cosentyx and Humira

Cosentyx and Humira are both prescribed to treat plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (a type of skin condition). Both medications have other uses as well.

The following table includes details on the conditions each drug treats.

To learn more about using Cosentyx or Humira to treat your condition, talk with your doctor.

Cosentyx or Humira and children

Cosentyx is used to treat the following conditions in children:

• plaque psoriasis in children ages 6 years and older
• psoriatic arthritis in children ages 2 years and older
• enthesitis-related arthritis in children ages 4 years and older

Humira is used to help treat the following conditions in children:

• juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children ages 2 years and older
• Crohn’s disease in children ages 6 years and older
• ulcerative colitis in children ages 5 years and older
• hidradenitis suppurativa in children ages 12 years and older
• uveitis in children ages 2 years and older

For more information about the use of either drug in children, talk with your child’s doctor.

Dosage, forms, and administration for Cosentyx and Humira

Here’s an overview of Cosentyx and Humira dosages and how you would use these drugs for the conditions they both treat.

Cosentyx and Humira are also used to treat other conditions, but those uses aren’t addressed here. To learn more about the dosages for all conditions these drugs treat, see the Cosentyx dosage article and Humira dosage article.

Depending on the condition being treated, you may receive Cosentyx as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection or IV infusion (injection given into the vein slowly over time). However, the IV infusion is only given by a healthcare professional. It’s also only given to adults in certain conditions.

The following dosage information will focus on the subcutaneous injection form of Cosentyx. To learn more about the dosage of the IV infusion, see the Cosentyx dosage article.

Forms and strengths

The following information highlights the forms and strengths available for Cosentyx and Humira. Strengths are given in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL).

Forms

Cosentyx comes as a liquid solution inside:

• single-dose prefilled injection pens
• single-dose prefilled syringes

Humira comes as a liquid solution inside:

• single-dose prefilled injection pens
• single-dose prefilled syringes
• single-dose vials

Strengths

Cosentyx comes in the following forms:

• single-dose prefilled injection pens: 150 mg/mL, 300 mg/2 mL
• single-dose prefilled syringes: 75 mg/0.5 mL, 150 mg/mL, 300 mg/2 mL

Humira comes in the following forms:

• single-dose prefilled injection pens: 40 mg/0.4 mL, 40 mg/0.8 mL, 80 mg/0.8 mL
• single-dose prefilled syringes: 10 mg/0.1 mL, 10 mg/0.2 mL, 20 mg/0.2 mL, 20 mg/0.4 mL, 40 mg/0.4 mL, 40 mg/0.8 mL, 80 mg/0.8 mL
• single-dose vials: 40 mg/0.8 mL

Dosage for plaque psoriasis

The following information highlights the recommended dosages of Cosentyx and Humira for plaque psoriasis.

Cosentyx for plaque psoriasis

The typical dosage of Cosentyx for adults for treating plaque psoriasis is 300 mg once weekly for the first 5 weeks. After that, your doctor will likely change your dosage to 300 mg once every 4 weeks.

Humira for plaque psoriasis

The typical dosage of Humira for adults for treating plaque psoriasis starts with an initial loading dose of 80 mg. Then, 1 week later, your doctor will likely change your dosage to 40 mg once every other week.

Administration

Cosentyx and Humira are injected under the skin. The instructions on how to administer an injection differ depending on the form of the drug you’re prescribed. Your doctor will show you how to give yourself injections. You can also read the instructions for use in the prescribing information for Cosentyx and Humira.

Dosage for psoriatic arthritis

The following table highlights the recommended dosages of Cosentyx and Humira for psoriatic arthritis.

Dosage for ankylosing spondylitis

The following table highlights the recommended dosages of Cosentyx and Humira for ankylosing spondylitis.

Dosage for hidradenitis suppurativa

The following information highlights the recommended dosages of Cosentyx and Humira for hidradenitis suppurativa.

Cosentyx for hidradenitis suppurativa

The typical dosage for adults for treating hidradenitis suppurativa is 300 mg once weekly for the first 5 weeks. After that, your doctor will likely change your dosage to 300 mg once every 4 weeks.

Humira for hidradenitis suppurativa

The typical dosage for adults for treating hidradenitis suppurativa is an initial loading dose of 160 mg injected as one dose in 1 day or split into two doses given over 2 days.

Then, 2 weeks later, starting on day 15, your doctor will likely change your dose to 80 mg. On day 29 and afterward, you’ll likely use 40 mg once weekly or 80 mg once every other week.

Side effects of Cosentyx and Humira

Cosentyx and Humira may cause side effects ranging from mild to serious.

For more information about possible side effects, see the Cosentyx side effects article and Humira side effects article.

Mild side effects

Cosentyx and Humira may cause mild side effects. The following table lists examples of mild side effects that have been reported with these drugs.

This table may not include all mild side effects of these drugs. For more information on mild side effects, see the Cosentyx prescribing information and Humira prescribing information.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects may also occur in people using Cosentyx or Humira. The following table includes side effects reported with these drugs.

To learn about your specific risk of serious side effects from Cosentyx or Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Allergic reaction

For some people, Cosentyx or Humira can cause an allergic reaction. This side effect was reported in studies of both Cosentyx and Humira.

In general, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should keep using Cosentyx or Humira.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Cosentyx or Humira, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Effectiveness of Cosentyx and Humira

Cosentyx and Humira are both used to treat similar conditions, including plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Studies of Cosentyx and Humira have shown that both drugs are effective for these uses.

In addition, the National Psoriasis Foundation includes both drugs in its treatment recommendations for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The American College of Rheumatology also recommends both drugs for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

It’s important to note that your results from Cosentyx or Humira may differ from those reported in studies. Talk with your doctor about whether one of these drugs is right for you.

If you’d like to read more about how each drug performed in studies, see the prescribing information for Cosentyx and Humira.

Cost of Cosentyx and Humira

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering these drugs.

Keep in mind that what you’ll pay for either drug will depend on your treatment plan, health insurance, and the pharmacy you use. If you’re receiving the IV infusion form of Cosentyx, it may also depend on the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of Cosentyx.

Cosentyx and Humira are both brand-name drugs. Cosentyx isn’t available as a biosimilar.

Humira has several biosimilar versions available. A biologic drug is made from living cells, while other drugs are made from chemicals. Drugs made from chemicals can have generics, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, cannot be copied exactly. So instead of a generic, biologics have biosimilars. Biosimilars are “similar” to the parent drug, and they’re considered to be just as effective and safe.

Like generics, biosimilars often cost less than brand-name medications. If you’re interested in using the biosimilar form of Humira, talk with your doctor.

For other resources that might help you save on the price of these drugs, see the Cosentyx cost article and Humira cost article.

What are the warnings for Cosentyx and Humira?

Cosentyx and Humira may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. The prescribing information for these drugs refers to these factors as warnings.

The drugs share some of the same warnings, but they also have different ones. Some of these warnings are mentioned here. Before you start using Cosentyx or Humira, be sure to talk with your doctor to check whether these warnings apply to you.

Boxed warnings

Humira has boxed warnings regarding the risks of serious infections and cancer. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Risk of serious infections: Using Humira can increase your risk of developing serious infections, some of which can lead to hospitalization or death. These include tuberculosis (TB), invasive fungal infections, and sepsis (a life threatening illness that can occur from an infection).

Your risk of a serious infection is higher if you are taking other medications that weaken your immune system, such as methotrexate (Trexall, others) or corticosteroids.

If you develop any signs or symptoms of infections while using Humira, your doctor will likely have you stop using the medication.

Risk of cancer: Certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, have occurred in people using Humira. In some cases, these cancers have led to death. Due to this risk, your doctor will likely weigh the risks and benefits of using Humira before you start treatment, especially if you’ve had cancer in the past.

Other warnings

In addition to boxed warnings, Cosentyx and Humira have other warnings.

Before using Cosentyx or Humira, talk with your doctor if any of the following conditions or health factors apply to you.

• Warnings for Cosentyx:
  • if you have inflammatory bowel disease
• Warnings for Humira:
  • if you have nervous system problems
  • if you have liver problems
  • if you have low blood cell counts
  • if you have heart problems
  • if you have lupus-like symptoms
  • if you have a history of hepatitis B
  • if you have a history of cancer
• Warnings for both Cosentyx and Humira:
  • if you’ve had an allergic reaction to either drug or any of its ingredients
  • if you have an allergy to latex
  • if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  • if you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
  • if you have a current infection
  • if you have a history of TB

To learn more about these drugs, see these Cosentyx and Humira overviews.

Switching between Cosentyx and Humira

The short answer: It’s possible.

Details: While Cosentyx and Humira can be used to treat similar conditions, they work differently in your body. If you feel one medication isn’t helping with your condition or you’re having side effects from one of the drugs, switching treatments is possible.

If you’re interested in switching medications, talk with your doctor. They can help determine whether it’s safe for you to switch treatments. If it is, they can explain the best way to do so.

Reminder: You should not switch drugs or stop your current treatment unless your doctor recommends it.

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.