infliximab vs methotrexate

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of infliximab and methotrexate. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

7.2 Methotrexate and Other Concomitant Medications Specific drug interaction studies, including interactions with methotrexate (MTX), have not been conducted.

Drug Class
infliximab TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic)
methotrexate Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD)
Type
infliximab Prescription
methotrexate Prescription
Summary
infliximab

Inflectra is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF. It is used to treat autoimmune diseases and reduce inflammation.

methotrexate

Methotrexate is a drug that can treat certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other conditions. It works by slowing the growth of cells in the body.

What It Treats
infliximab

Inflectra treats Crohn's disease in adults and children (6+). It helps reduce symptoms and keep the disease under control. It also treats ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis.

methotrexate

Methotrexate can treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer, in adults and children. It also treats mycosis fungoides, a skin lymphoma, in adults. Additionally, it treats relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults. For non-cancer conditions, it treats rheumatoid arthritis in adults, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) in children, and severe psoriasis in adults.

How It Works
infliximab

Inflectra blocks a protein in your body called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF can cause inflammation and damage in autoimmune diseases. By blocking TNF, Inflectra can reduce inflammation and improve symptoms.

methotrexate

Methotrexate blocks an enzyme called dihydrofolate reductase. This enzyme is needed for cells to grow and multiply. By blocking this enzyme, methotrexate slows down the growth of cells, especially cancer cells and cells that cause inflammation in arthritis and psoriasis.

Common Side Effects
infliximab
  • Infections (like colds, sinus infections, and sore throat)
  • Infusion-related reactions
  • Headache
  • Abdominal pain
methotrexate
  • Mouth sores
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Changes in liver tests
FAERS Reports
infliximab
  • Infusion Related Reaction 18,648
  • Condition Aggravated 18,301
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis 18,136
  • Pain 18,107
  • Arthralgia 16,853
methotrexate
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis 38,053
  • Arthralgia 36,283
  • Pain 35,413
  • Fatigue 29,061
  • Nausea 24,009
Serious Warnings
infliximab

Inflectra can increase your risk of serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Tell your doctor if you have any infection symptoms. You should be tested for tuberculosis (TB) before starting Inflectra. Some people, especially children and young adults, have developed cancers like lymphoma while taking TNF blockers. Some of these cancers have been fatal.

methotrexate

Methotrexate can cause serious harm to an unborn baby, including death. If you are pregnant, you should not take this medicine for non-cancer conditions. If you are taking it for cancer, talk to your doctor about the risks. This medicine can also cause severe allergic reactions and other serious side effects that can be life-threatening. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any signs of infection, lung problems, or kidney problems.

Pregnancy
infliximab

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Inflectra can pass to your baby during pregnancy, mainly in the third trimester. Live vaccines are not recommended for at least 6 months after birth for babies exposed to Inflectra in the womb.

methotrexate

Methotrexate can cause birth defects or fetal death if taken during pregnancy for non-cancer conditions. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Do not breastfeed while taking methotrexate, as it can pass into breast milk and harm your baby.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This infliximab vs methotrexate Comparison

infliximab is classified in the TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic) drug class, while methotrexate sits within the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, infliximab has 90,045 submissions while methotrexate has 162,819. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to there is no specific information available on how these two drugs interact because clinical studies have not been performed.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for infliximab or methotrexate.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.