Immgolis (Golimumab-Sldi) for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Immgolis (golimumab-sldi) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis.

How Immgolis Works and How It’s Taken

Immgolis is a type of medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker. It works by binding to TNF-alpha, a protein involved in inflammation. In rheumatoid arthritis, this helps reduce inflammation in the joints and may ease swelling, pain, and stiffness.

Immgolis is a biosimilar to Simponi. This means it is made from living cells and is designed to work like the original medicine. The FDA requires biosimilars to have no meaningful differences in safety or how well they work.

Doctors prescribe Immgolis for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. It is used with methotrexate.

Immgolis is given as an injection under the skin, typically once a month. With proper training and a doctor’s guidance, some people may inject Immgolis at home.

Typical Dosing for Rheumatoid Arthritis

The recommended dose of Immgolis for rheumatoid arthritis is 50 milligrams once a month. It is given as an injection under the skin.

For rheumatoid arthritis, doctors prescribe Immgolis in combination with methotrexate. Corticosteroids, nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may also be continued during treatment if the doctor recommends them.

This information is based on the prescribing information. Always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance.

Immgolis Side Effects

In clinical trials of golimumab used in combination with methotrexate, for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, the most common side effects occurred in about 1 percent to 16 percent of people. These include:

Upper respiratory tract infection (like a cold)
Injection site reaction (such as redness or skin discoloration, pain, or swelling where the shot was given)
Irritation or infection in the nose and throat

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Immgolis can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Serious infections — Severe infections can occur, including tuberculosis (TB) and invasive fungal infections, because Immgolis can lower immune system activity.
Cancer — This can include lymphoma and certain skin cancers.
Congestive heart failure — New or worsening heart failure is a risk.
Demyelinating disorders — Nerve and brain conditions can occur, including multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation — The virus can become active again in people who carry hepatitis B.
Lupuslike syndrome — An immune reaction can cause symptoms similar to lupus.
Hematologic cytopenia — Serious blood problems, such as low blood cell counts, can occur.
Hypersensitivity reactions — Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which can cause trouble breathing, swelling, or hives.
Interstitial lung disease — Inflammation and scarring in the lungs can cause cough or shortness of breath.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

What To Know Before Taking Immgolis

Before starting Immgolis, your doctor will test or check for:

Active TB
Latent (hidden) TB infection
Hepatitis B infection

Your doctor will review your vaccination history and, if possible, make sure you are up to date on age-appropriate vaccines. Do not receive live vaccines while taking Immgolis.

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to golimumab-sldi or any ingredients in Immgolis.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you take:

Abatacept (Orencia) or anakinra (Kineret)
Other TNF blocker medicines, such as adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), etanercept (Enbrel), or infliximab (Remicade)
Rituximab (Rituxan) or tocilizumab (Actemra)

Tell your doctor if you:

Think you have an infection
Are being treated for an infection
Have symptoms of an infection, such as fever, cough, chills, weight loss, or feeling very tired
Get infections often or have infections that keep coming back
Have diabetes, HIV, or a weakened immune system
Have TB or have been in close contact with someone who has TB
Live, have lived, or have traveled to areas where certain fungal infections are common
Have or have had hepatitis B
Have or have had any type of cancer
Have heart failure
Have or have had a nervous system disorder, such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
Have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine

Immgolis is also FDA approved for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. Then go back to your regular dosing schedule.

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding while taking Immgolis, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits. If you used Immgolis during pregnancy, live vaccines are not recommended for your baby for six months after your last Immgolis dose.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Immgolis for rheumatoid arthritis?

In studies of golimumab in adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, more people who received 50-milligram doses of golimumab had improvement than people in the control groups. Results were measured by the number of people who reached ACR20, which means a person had at least 20 percent improvement in certain rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms.

At week 14, ACR20 response rates were:

35 percent with golimumab compared with 18 percent of those who took placebo (an inactive treatment) with or without other medicines in one trial
55 percent with golimumab plus methotrexate compared with 33 percent of those who took methotrexate alone in another trial

At week 24, ACR20 response rates were:

31 percent with golimumab versus 16 percent in the control group
60 percent with golimumab plus methotrexate versus 28 percent with methotrexate alone
62 percent with golimumab plus methotrexate versus 49 percent with methotrexate alone in another trial

Physical function also improved more with 50-milligram doses of golimumab in two studies. Physical function was measured with a score called HAQ-DI, which looks at how rheumatoid arthritis affects daily activities.

How long does Immgolis take to work for rheumatoid arthritis?

In rheumatoid arthritis studies, some people had improvement as early as week 4. In one study, 38 percent of people taking 50-milligram doses of golimumab with methotrexate had an ACR20 response at week 4.

More people taking golimumab had an ACR20 response at week 14 than people in the control groups. Some study results were also measured at week 24.

Should I take Immgolis for rheumatoid arthritis if I have an infection?

You should not start Immgolis if you have an active infection. This includes an infection in one part of the body (such as a skin infection) that is important enough to need medical care.

Immgolis can lower your immune system’s ability to fight infections. Serious infections can happen. These include TB, serious fungal infections, and infections caused by bacteria or viruses.

Tell your doctor right away if you have signs of an infection. If you develop a serious infection while taking Immgolis, your doctor should stop Immgolis.