How Often Will You Take ACTEMRA?
You and your healthcare professional may have decided to treat your giant cell arteritis (GCA) with ACTEMRA. Or, you could still be curious about treatment. In either case, you should know how much ACTEMRA you will receive while on treatment. You should also know how often you’ll be taking ACTEMRA.
The recommended dose of ACTEMRA subcutaneous (SC) injections for GCA
- 1 single, 162-mg dose once a week in combination with a tapering steroid treatment
- This dose can be taken through the prefilled syringe or ACTEMRA ACTPen® autoinjector
- Your healthcare professional may decide to prescribe ACTEMRA SC once every other week based on their medical assessment
- ACTEMRA SC can be used alone after steroids have been stopped
Your healthcare professional will train you or your caregiver on how to properly inject ACTEMRA. Please also refer to the Instructions for Use. The instructions will give you or your caregiver step-by-step guidance on how to use your prefilled syringe or ACTPen autoinjector. You can also watch a step-by-step video to learn how to use the prefilled syringe or ACTPen autoinjector. If you have any questions or concerns about your ACTEMRA prefilled syringe or ACTPen autoinjector, please contact your healthcare provider familiar with ACTEMRA or call 1-800-ACTEMRA.
The recommended dose of ACTEMRA intravenous (IV) infusions for GCA
- Every 4 weeks, you will receive a 60-minute-long IV infusion in combination with a tapering steroid treatment
- The dose of ACTEMRA IV you receive will be based on your weight
- ACTEMRA IV can be used alone after steroids have been stopped
See the Results
If you’re curious about the results other people with GCA saw while taking ACTEMRA, learn about our clinical study results. Individual results may vary.
Learn How
to Inject
Watch step-by-step videos to get you comfortable with the process of injecting ACTEMRA SC.
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A biologic is a type of medicine developed using processes that are similar to what happens in your body naturally. Biologics can be used to interact with certain parts of your body, like your immune system. They can also fight inflammation in certain diseases, like GCA.
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An inflammation of the blood vessels. The cause is often unknown.
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When a part of the body becomes swollen and painful.
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A flare is a sudden worsening of your disease. It can happen after you haven’t experienced symptoms for a long time. It’s also known as a relapse.
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A chemical messenger that tells the immune system to attack harmful bacteria and viruses. When your body produces too much IL-6, it causes the immune system to attack healthy cells.
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A decrease or disappearance in signs and symptoms.
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Under the skin.
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A sample of cells taken from the body in order to examine them more closely. A healthcare professional will recommend a biopsy when a test suggests an area of tissue in the body isn’t normal.
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A genetic predisposition means that a person may be more likely to develop a disease based on their genes. However, they may not see any symptoms unless something in the environment triggers the disease.
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Steroids, including cortisone and prednisone, are a type of medicine used temporarily to reduce inflammation.
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Biologics, a type of DMARD, are a class of arthritis treatments designed to target your immune system.
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The immune system is a complex network of organs and cells that protects the body from foreign substances such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses.