Prescription medication · TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic)
certolizumab
Also sold as Cimzia. Cimzia treats Crohn's disease by easing symptoms.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
certolizumab (Cimzia) is a prescription TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic), with 1 documented drug interaction.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
certolizumab (Cimzia) is a prescription TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic). Cimzia treats Crohn's disease by easing symptoms.
Cimzia is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF. It helps reduce inflammation and other symptoms of certain diseases.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$5525.40/unit
Generic Available
No
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Cimzia treats Crohn's disease by easing symptoms.
Common side effects
Upper respiratory infection, Rash, Urinary tract infection
Key warnings
Cimzia can make you more likely to get serious infections that could lead to death.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from certolizumab's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Cimzia blocks a protein in your body called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF can cause inflammation and damage in certain diseases. By blocking TNF, Cimzia can reduce these symptoms.
Serious Warnings
Cimzia can make you more likely to get serious infections that could lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have any kind of infection before starting Cimzia. Children and teenagers taking TNF blockers like Cimzia have a higher chance of getting lymphoma and other cancers.
Known Drug Interactions
( 7.3 ) 7.1 Use with Anakinra, Abatacept, Rituximab, and Natalizumab An increased risk of serious infections has been seen in clinical studies of other TNF-blocking agents used in combination with anakinra or abatacept, with no added benefit. Therefore, the use of CIMZIA in combination with anakinra, abatacept, rituximab, or natalizumab is not recommended [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] .
Mechanism: Both of these medicines weaken the immune system to treat inflammation, so taking them together makes it much harder for your body to fight off serious infections.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking Cimzia?
Can Cimzia cause allergic reactions?
Does Cimzia interact with other medications?
Can I get vaccines while taking Cimzia?
How long does it take for Cimzia to start working?
What if I have a history of tuberculosis (TB)?
Can Cimzia affect my blood?
What are the symptoms of a serious infection?
Can Cimzia cause heart failure?
Is it okay to take Cimzia with other biologic medications?
What are the common side effects of certolizumab?
Does certolizumab interact with other medications?
What drug class is certolizumab?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for certolizumab?
Has certolizumab been recalled?
Active Recalls
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
UCB Biosciences Inc.
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Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
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Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for certolizumab
The FDA label for certolizumab (sold under brand names such as Cimzia) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the TNF-Alpha Inhibitor (Biologic) class. Cimzia treats Crohn's disease by easing symptoms. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Upper respiratory infection, Rash, Urinary tract infection.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 16, 2026
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages