Cimzia Coupons & Prices

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is a brand-only biologic injection, and there is no generic or biosimilar version sold in the United States, so the cash price is high wherever you fill it. A Cimzia coupon from Rx.com is a free cash-pay discount you can show at the pharmacy counter, and it works whether you are uninsured, on Medicare, or simply told that the manufacturer's savings card does not apply to you. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price at pharmacies near you, and read on for how the manufacturer's savings program compares to a cash coupon.

What Cimzia is and how it works

Cimzia is the brand name for certolizumab pegol, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker. TNF-alpha is a protein your immune system makes that drives inflammation; in autoimmune conditions it stays switched on and attacks your own joints, gut, skin, or spine. Cimzia is a PEGylated antibody fragment that binds TNF-alpha and takes it out of circulation, which calms that inflammation. It is given as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection.

Dosing is not one-size-fits-all, and it depends on the condition and on the patient. For rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, the label describes 400 mg at weeks 0, 2, and 4, followed by 200 mg every other week or 400 mg every four weeks. For Crohn's disease, it is 400 mg initially and at weeks 2 and 4, and in people who respond, 400 mg every four weeks. For plaque psoriasis, the regimen is different: 400 mg every other week, with a 400 mg loading option at weeks 0, 2, and 4 followed by 200 mg every other week for some adults weighing 90 kg or less. And for polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, dosing in children is weight-based, not the fixed adult 400 mg/200 mg schedule. Do not assume an adult regimen applies to a child, and follow the exact dose your prescriber gives you.

The FDA has approved Cimzia for moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in adults who have not responded well enough to conventional therapy; moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in adults; active psoriatic arthritis in adults; active ankylosing spondylitis in adults; active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in adults with objective signs of inflammation; active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients 2 years and older; and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Unlike most anti-TNF drugs, certolizumab pegol has no Fc region and shows minimal transfer across the placenta, which is one reason prescribers often select it for patients who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. That decision should always be made with your own doctor.

Manufacturer savings card vs. the Rx.com cash coupon

The maker of Cimzia runs an official co-pay savings program and a patient support program (often referred to as CIMplicity), and you can find the current details and eligibility rules on the manufacturer's own Cimzia website. Like nearly every drug-company co-pay card, it is generally limited to people with commercial (private) insurance. If you have Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, VA coverage, or any other government-funded plan, you are typically not eligible. Terms, eligibility, and benefit limits vary and change, so check directly with the program before you count on it. The manufacturer also offers patient assistance for people who qualify financially and have little or no coverage; the support program is the place to ask about that.

A Cimzia coupon from Rx.com is different: it is a cash-pay discount, not insurance and not a co-pay card. It is the tool to reach for when you are uninsured, when you are on Medicare and the manufacturer's card is off the table, when you have not met your deductible, or when the pharmacy tells you the savings card was declined. It is free to use, requires no eligibility check, and you simply show it at the counter. You cannot combine a cash coupon with your insurance on the same fill, so ask the pharmacist to run both and take the lower total. Enter your ZIP above to see today's Cimzia price at pharmacies near you. One more practical note: Cimzia is a specialty biologic, so many plans and pharmacies route it through a specialty pharmacy rather than a neighborhood counter, and prices vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. It is worth comparing more than one.

Cimzia alternatives and how they compare

Cimzia is one of several TNF blockers, and the others are prescribed for overlapping conditions. Humira (adalimumab) is the best-known anti-TNF injection and, unlike Cimzia, now has multiple FDA-approved biosimilars in the US. Enbrel (etanercept) is another self-injected TNF blocker used for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis, though it is not used for Crohn's disease. Remicade (infliximab) is a TNF blocker given by IV infusion in a clinic rather than by self-injection, and it also has biosimilars. Simponi (golimumab) is a once-monthly TNF-blocker injection.

Not every alternative is an anti-TNF. Stelara (ustekinumab) blocks interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 instead and is used in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Methotrexate is a conventional oral or injectable DMARD that is often tried before a biologic and is sometimes continued alongside one. Prices for all of these vary by pharmacy, so compare before you fill, but which one is right for you depends on your diagnosis, your history, and your coverage, not on price alone. One label-based caution: the Cimzia prescribing information says Cimzia is not recommended in combination with other biologic DMARDs, because serious infections have been seen when TNF blockers were used with anakinra, abatacept, rituximab, or natalizumab, with no added benefit. Talk to your prescriber before switching or combining anything, and never stop a biologic on your own.

Safety information you should know

Cimzia carries a two-part boxed warning, the FDA's strongest warning. First, serious infections: people taking Cimzia are at higher risk of serious infections that can lead to hospitalization or death, including tuberculosis (often reactivation of latent TB), bacterial sepsis, and invasive fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, and pneumocystosis. You should be tested for latent TB before starting, and latent TB should be treated first. Your doctor will watch for TB during treatment even if that first test was negative. Cimzia should not be started during an active infection and should be stopped if a serious infection or sepsis develops. The risk is higher when Cimzia is combined with other immune-suppressing drugs such as methotrexate or corticosteroids. Second, malignancy: lymphoma and other cancers, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescents treated with TNF blockers. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and usually fatal lymphoma, has been reported mostly in adolescent and young adult males with inflammatory bowel disease who were taking a TNF blocker together with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine.

Other important label warnings include reactivation of hepatitis B in people who carry the virus; new or worsening heart failure; demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, or Guillain-Barre syndrome; low blood counts including pancytopenia; hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis; and a lupus-like syndrome. Live vaccines should be avoided while you are on Cimzia. One lab-test note from the label: certolizumab pegol can interfere with certain blood-clotting (coagulation) tests and may cause falsely elevated activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) results in people who do not actually have a clotting problem, so tell any doctor or lab that you are taking Cimzia if aPTT testing is ordered. The most common side effects are upper respiratory infection, rash, and urinary tract infection, and injection-site reactions can occur. Call your doctor right away if you develop a fever, cough that will not go away, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, or any sign of infection. This page is educational information, not medical advice; talk with your prescriber or pharmacist about your own situation.