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Certolizumab Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of certolizumab include rheumatoid arthritis, pain, and fatigue, based on 120,335 FDA adverse event reports from 2005 to 2025. 22.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Certolizumab side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for certolizumab.

1
Drug Ineffective22.0%26,414
2
Rheumatoid Arthritis16.1%19,375
3
Pain12.8%15,392
4
Fatigue10.6%12,721
5
Off Label Use9.4%11,297
6
Rash8.8%10,549
7
Arthralgia8.6%10,298
8
Alopecia8.2%9,926
9
Joint Swelling8.0%9,614
10
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy7.8%9,395
11
Abdominal Discomfort7.8%9,370
12
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus7.4%8,933
13
Drug Intolerance7.1%8,567
14
Pemphigus7.1%8,540
15
Swelling7.1%8,519

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that certolizumab caused these reactions.

Report severity

66.4%Serious79,957 reports
19.4%Hospitalizations23,335 reports
5.4%Fatal6,473 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Certolizumab drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside certolizumab. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Methotrexate18.0%21,601
2
Etanercept17.8%21,466
3
Adalimumab16.9%20,365
4
Abatacept15.5%18,622
5
Tocilizumab14.9%17,967
6
Leflunomide14.8%17,760
7
Infliximab13.6%16,401
8
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate13.3%15,956
9
Golimumab13.2%15,894
10
Rituximab12.3%14,834
11
Sulfasalazine11.3%13,641
12
Prednisone10.2%12,279
13
Folic-acid8.9%10,730
14
Alendronate-sodium8.9%10,713
15
Cetirizine-hydrochloride8.5%10,287

Taken alongside

1
Prednisone8.9%10,664
2
Methotrexate8.6%10,364
3
Acetaminophen7.3%8,746
4
Ibuprofen5.5%6,678
5
Pantoprazole-sodium5.5%6,664
6
Ergocalciferol5.5%6,629
7
Sulfasalazine5.2%6,303
8
Folic-acid5.2%6,298
9
Tofacitinib4.9%5,894
10
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate4.8%5,812
11
Leflunomide3.9%4,705
12
Adalimumab3.0%3,590
13
Levothyroxine-sodium3.0%3,556
14
Ethinyl-estradiol2.9%3,454
15
Diclofenac2.7%3,300

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports certolizumab side effects

74.0% of certolizumab adverse event reports involve female patients and 18.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 79%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female74.0%
Male18.4%
Unknown7.6%

Age group

< 21.5%
2–110.1%
12–170.7%
18–6479.2%
65+18.4%

What is certolizumab used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking certolizumab when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal PainAdverse EventAnal FistulaAnalgesic TherapyAnkylosing SpondylitisAnorectal DisorderAnterior Spinal Artery SyndromeAnti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody PositiveAntiinflammatory TherapyAntiphospholipid SyndromeArteritisArthralgiaArthritisArthritis EnteropathicArthritis Reactive

Showing 15 of 642 indications

Certolizumab brand names and reporting trend

Certolizumab is sold under the brand name Cimzia.

Brand names

Cimzia57,415

Quarterly reports (20052025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking certolizumab with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.