APPROVED
 FOR PMR

KEVZARA is indicated for the treatment of adults with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) after corticosteroids have been used and did not work well or when a slow decrease in the dose of corticosteroids (taper) cannot be tolerated

Approval Press Release    

Download the Brochure    

APPROVED
 FOR PMR

KEVZARA is indicated for the treatment of adults with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) after corticosteroids have been used and did not work well or when a slow decrease in the dose of corticosteroids (taper) cannot be tolerated

Approval Press Release    

Download the Brochure    

More resources for physicians

KEVZARA is an injectable prescription medicine called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blocker. KEVZARA is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after at least one other medicine called a disease‑modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) has been used and did not work well or could not be tolerated.

KEVZARA is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) once every 2 weeks, and comes in 2 doses—200 mg/1.14 mL or 150 mg/1.14 mL. You should take KEVZARA exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.

Your immune system works hard to keep your body healthy by asking proteins to fight any infection or injury that it detects. For people with RA, however, their immune system actually causes harm, because it also attacks joints and other parts of the body that are healthy. That’s why RA is called an autoimmune disorder.

KEVZARA blocks one of these proteins—the interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein. KEVZARA can reduce the pain and swollen joints that you feel with RA. It may also slow the progression of joint damage over time.

If your current treatment stops working, doesn't work as well as it used to, or if your body can't tolerate it, it may be time to consider a different approach. KEVZARA is different than most other medications because it blocks a protein known as interleukin-6 (IL-6).

KEVZARA can cause serious side effects including:

  • Serious Infections. KEVZARA is a prescription medicine that affects your immune system. KEVZARA can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Some people have serious infections while using KEVZARA, including tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that can spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections.

    Your healthcare provider should test you for TB before starting KEVZARA.

    • Your healthcare provider should monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with KEVZARA.

    You should not start using KEVZARA if you have any kind of infection unless your healthcare provider says it is okay. Before starting KEVZARA, tell your healthcare provider if you:

    • think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, with or without a fever:
      • sweats or chills
      • muscle aches
      • cough
      • shortness of breath
      • blood in your phlegm
      • weight loss
      • warm, red or painful skin or sores on your body
      • diarrhea or stomach pain
      • burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal
      • feeling very tired
    • are being treated for an infection.

    • get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back.

    • have diabetes, HIV, or a weak immune system. People with these conditions have a higher chance of getting infections.

    • have TB, or have been in close contact with someone with TB.

    • live or have lived, or have traveled to certain parts of the country (such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Southwest) where there is an increased chance of getting certain fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis). These infections may happen more often or become more severe if you use KEVZARA. Ask your healthcare provider if you do not know if you have lived in an area where these infections are common.

    • have or have had hepatitis.

    After starting KEVZARA, call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of an infection.

  • Changes in certain laboratory test results.

    Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before you start KEVZARA, 4 to 8 weeks after starting KEVZARA, and then every 3 months during treatment to check for:

    • low neutrophil count. Neutrophils are white blood cells that help the body fight off bacterial infections. A low neutrophil count is common with KEVZARA, and can be severe.

    • low platelet count. Platelets are blood cells that help with blood clotting and stop bleeding.

    • increase in certain liver function tests. An increase in certain liver function tests is common with KEVZARA, and can be severe.

    Your healthcare provider may not prescribe KEVZARA if your neutrophil or platelet counts are too low, or your liver function tests are too high. Your healthcare provider may stop your KEVZARA treatment for a period of time or change your dose if needed because of changes in these blood test results. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests 4 to 8 weeks after starting KEVZARA and then every 6 months during treatment to check for an:

    • increase in blood cholesterol levels.

  • Tears (perforation) of the stomach or intestines. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a condition known as diverticulitis (inflammation in parts of the large intestine) or ulcers in your stomach or intestines. Some people using KEVZARA get tears in their stomach or intestine. This happens most often in people who also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, or methotrexate. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have fever and stomach (abdominal) pain that does not go away.
  • Cancer. KEVZARA may increase your risk of certain cancers by changing the way your immune system works. Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had any type of cancer.
  • These are not all the possible side effects of KEVZARA. For the full list of side effects, please see the KEVZARA full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

Before using KEVZARA, talk to your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have an infection. See What is the most important information I should know about KEVZARA?
  • have liver problems
  • have had stomach (abdominal) pain or been diagnosed with diverticulitis or ulcers in your stomach or intestines
  • have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. People who take KEVZARA should not receive live vaccines
  • plan to have surgery or a medical procedure
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if KEVZARA will harm your unborn baby. Pregnancy Registry: Sanofi has a registry for pregnant women who use KEVZARA. The purpose of this registry is to gather information about the health of the pregnant mother and her baby. If you are pregnant or become pregnant while using KEVZARA, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can join this pregnancy registry or call 1‑877‑311‑8972 to enroll
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if KEVZARA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use KEVZARA

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.

It is not known if KEVZARA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking KEVZARA.

It is not known if KEVZARA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use KEVZARA.

You and your doctor should consider the potential risks and benefits of taking KEVZARA while pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not take KEVZARA while pregnant or breastfeeding without talking to your doctor first.

If you are pregnant or become pregnant while using KEVZARA, there is a pregnancy registry for women who take KEVZARA during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about your health and your baby’s health. You can talk to your healthcare provider, contact 1‑877‑311‑8972, or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/kevzara/ to enroll in this registry or get more information.

See the detailed Instructions for Use that come with your Medication Guide for instructions about the right way to give your KEVZARA injections at home. You can also view our injection training videos on this site.

  • KEVZARA is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection)
  • KEVZARA comes as a single-use pre-filled pen or pre-filled syringe. Your doctor will prescribe the dose that’s best for you
  • If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver can give the injections of KEVZARA at home, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to inject KEVZARA. Do not try to inject KEVZARA until you have been shown the right way to give the injections by your doctor
  • 1 injection of KEVZARA should be taken every 2 weeks
  • If you do miss a dose, call your healthcare provider for instructions

Whether you’ve just been prescribed KEVZARA or have already started taking it, the KevzaraConnect® Copay Card helps eligible, commercially insured patients with their out-of-pocket treatment costs for KEVZARA.

With the copay card, eligible patients can pay as little as $0 copay per month. Maximum annual copay assistance is $15,000. This program is not valid for prescriptions covered by or submitted for reimbursement under Medicaid, Medicare, VA, DOD, TRICARE or similar federal or state programs, including any state pharmaceutical assistance program. See the full Terms and Conditions.

See the KevzaraConnect® Copay Card section to apply for the copay card, or to activate an existing KevzaraConnect® Copay Card.

With RA, you may look fine, but your immune system can mistakenly attack the healthy tissue around your joints. While we don’t know exactly what causes the immune system to go off course, it is believed to play a key role in the inflammation, pain, and joint damage of RA.

In a healthy joint, there is a thin lining of tissue known as the synovium. The synovium produces a fluid that cushions and lubricates the joint, allowing bones to move past one another with ease.

In joints with RA, the immune system attacks the synovium, causing it to become inflamed. Untreated inflammation may lead to cartilage loss and bone erosion. The joint space between bones may decrease, making it difficult for them to move past one another. Eventually, bone and joint damage may take place.

joints joints

You may be familiar with the differences between common nonsteroidal pain relievers, steroids, and even traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). But what about biologics that treat RA?

In RA, biologics target specific parts of the immune system that fuel inflammation. While most biologics affect the immune system, each type of biologic targets a different cell or protein that contributes to the signs and symptoms of RA.

The common types of biologics and ″biologic-type″ drugs for RA are:

  • IL-6 receptor blockers, named for the interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein they block
  • Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), named for the TNF protein they target
  • T cell-targeted therapies, which reduce the activity of white blood cells known as T cells
  • IL-1 receptor blockers, named for the interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor they block
  • B cell-targeted therapies, which attach to and reduce the activity of B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell involved in inflammation
  • JAK inhibitors, or Janus kinase inhibitors, which affect certain pro-inflammatory signals inside cells

Interleukin-6, or IL-6, is a protein that’s produced by the white cells in your blood. Elevated IL-6 levels are potentially associated with RA.

IL-6 serves dual roles. In a healthy body, it helps activate defense mechanisms against infections and some injuries. But for people with RA, higher levels of IL-6 can actually work against the best interests of the body, because it creates constant inflammation where it’s not needed. This inflammation day after day may lead to joint damage. KEVZARA targets the effects of IL-6, potentially helping to reduce the amount of inflammation in your body, and helping to slow the damage that RA may cause.

Resource Library

Learning about KEVZARA

Have RA? Care for someone with RA? Start the conversation off right.

Doctor Discussion Guide

Telemedicine Tips: I’m
thinking about KEVZARA

Watch what led Shirley and Shonda to talk to their doctors about KEVZARA.

Shirley’s story

Shonda’s story

Learn the basics of RA and how IL-6 may play an important role in your treatment decisions.

A closer look at RA

patient education
brochure

Starting KEVZARA

Just been prescribed? Here's some helpful information for those just starting their KEVZARA treatments.

Owning your RA

What makes KEVZARA
different

Get support

If you're new to injecting, or looking for a refresher, here are step-by-step videos on the proper way to take KEVZARA.

HOW TO INJECT: Pre-filled Pen

HOW TO INJECT: Pre-filled
Syringe

Prefer reading over watching? Download important information and instructions on injecting KEVZARA with pen or syringe.

FEEL CONFIDENT
INJECTING KEVZARA

Staying on KEVZARA

Now that you're taking KEVZARA, it's time to think about ideas and activities that can help you keep moving forward.

RA exercises

RA nutrition tips

Telemedicine tips:
I’m taking Kevzara

Here are links with more information about RA. Please note: these sites are not operated by Sanofi and Regeneron.


The Arthritis Foundation

CreakyJoints

Rheumatoid Patient Foundation

RheumatoidArthritis.net

American College of Rheumatology

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

About 1.3
million people

in the US have RA

The Arthritis Foundation