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Drug side effects

infliximab Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for infliximab (also sold as Remicade), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

211,136
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2002 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of infliximab come from 211,136 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 211,136 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for infliximab (Remicade): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

211,136

Reports Mentioning Death

12,983

6.1% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

62,267

29.5% of reports

Top Indication

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

INFUSION RELATED REACTION
18,648
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
18,301
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
18,136
PAIN
18,107
ARTHRALGIA
16,853
FATIGUE
16,118
RASH
12,886
NAUSEA
11,872
ALOPECIA
11,587
JOINT SWELLING
11,306
HEADACHE
10,769
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
10,427
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT
10,421
DIARRHOEA
10,323
DYSPNOEA
10,215

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 116,766 (63%)
Male 67,683 (37%)
Unknown 754

Age Distribution

0-17 16,424 (14%)
18-44 42,296 (35%)
45-64 40,808 (34%)
65-74 14,719 (12%)
75+ 6,015 (5%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2002 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 12,983 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 2,334
JOINT SWELLING 2,149
INFUSION RELATED REACTION 2,141
FATIGUE 2,109
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 2,104
HYPERTENSION 2,102
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 2,067
GLOSSODYNIA 2,042
HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED 2,038
RASH 2,031
PAIN 1,995
HAND DEFORMITY 1,960
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 1,945
SYNOVITIS 1,922
TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS 1,908
WOUND 1,900
FIBROMYALGIA 1,898
HYPOAESTHESIA 1,860

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 62,267 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 6,209
INFUSION RELATED REACTION 5,806
ARTHRALGIA 5,666
PAIN 5,511
FATIGUE 5,020
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 4,834
NAUSEA 4,762
PYREXIA 4,712
DIARRHOEA 4,699
VOMITING 4,503
RASH 4,458
MALAISE 4,076
HEADACHE 4,057
JOINT SWELLING 4,009
DYSPNOEA 3,958
PNEUMONIA 3,935
CROHN^S DISEASE 3,925

Compare infliximab vs abatacept →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About infliximab Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 211,136 voluntary reports linked to infliximab and its brand equivalents (Remicade), spanning 2002 through 2025. Of those, 12,983 (6.1%) listed death as an outcome and 62,267 (29.5%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 63% were female and 37% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 42,296 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is infusion related reaction with 18,648 submissions, followed by condition aggravated and rheumatoid arthritis.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.