over 24 years of clinical trial experience
since the first HUMIRA trial in 1997.
Your child's doctor has prescribed HUMIRA for your child’s moderate to severe pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC).
You probably have questions.
That’s not surprising. Starting your child on any new treatment can often feel overwhelming. The more you know about your child’s prescribed treatment plan, the better prepared you’ll be to help them follow it.
HUMIRA has been prescribed to treat inflammatory bowel disease since 2012 and pediatric UC starting in 2021.
About HUMIRA
More than 1.4 million patients worldwide
have been prescribed HUMIRA for an FDA-approved condition.*
*As of July 2020.
Get the facts
What is HUMIRA Citrate-free?
HUMIRA Citrate-free
works the same as original HUMIRA, but with less pain immediately following injection.*
Ask your child's doctor if HUMIRA Citrate-free may be right for your child.
*Compared to HUMIRA 40 mg/0.8 mL.
HUMIRA Complete Resources
The resources you need, when you need them.
HUMIRA Complete is more than just a support program. It’s our promise to be there for you with the information and resources you need to start and stay on track with HUMIRA.
Our dedicated Ambassadors* are the heart of HUMIRA Complete.
Your ambassador is there to get to know you and your child's unique needs in order to provide you with personalized, 1-to-1 help every step of the way.
Prefer to meet virtually? Ask your Ambassador if virtual visits are available.
You can also ask your Ambassador for help connecting you with resources, such as:
Your Ambassador is always here to help you.
If you have questions or need help accessing the resources above, reach out to your Ambassador or call 1.800.4HUMIRA (1.800.448.6472).
Get the facts
How much experience do Nurse Ambassadors* have?
19 years
Nurse Ambassadors* have an average of 19 years of nursing experience.
*Nurse Ambassadors are provided by AbbVie and do not work under the direction of your health care professional (HCP) or give medical advice. They are trained to direct patients to their HCP for treatment-related advice, including further referrals.
Eligibility: Available to patients with commercial insurance coverage for HUMIRA® (adalimumab) who meet eligibility criteria. This co-pay assistance program is not available to patients receiving prescription reimbursement under any federal, state, or government-funded insurance programs (for example, Medicare [including Part D], Medicare Advantage, Medigap, Medicaid, TRICARE, Department of Defense, or Veterans Affairs programs) or where prohibited by law. Offer subject to change or termination without notice. Restrictions, including monthly maximums, may apply. This is not health insurance. For full Terms and Conditions, visit HUMIRASavingsCard.com or call 1.800.4HUMIRA for additional information. To learn about AbbVie’s privacy practices and your privacy choices, visit https://abbv.ie/corpprivacy
Understanding Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis
Understanding a complex condition.
The more you know about moderate to severe pediatric UC and what to expect, the easier it will be to understand your child's condition. This can also help you explain what your child is going through with others.
UNPREDICTABLE
An unpredictable condition
Pediatric UC varies between periods when its symptoms are active (called “flaring”) and periods when there are fewer symptoms. This may differ from child to child and change over time.
chronic and progressive
A chronic and progressive disease
Pediatric UC is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects your child's large intestine. It is a chronic condition, which means that the symptoms may keep coming back and last a long time. So once your child has it, they may always have it, since there is no known cure.
LARGE
INTESTINE
INTESTINE
WHERE IT STRIKES
Pediatric UC can affect any part of the colon (also known as the large intestine) or it can eventually spread to the entire colon.
Multiple Causes
A combination of causes
The exact cause of pediatric UC is unknown. It is believed to be caused by a combination of immune, genetic, and environmental factors.
Who is at Risk for Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis
A combination of factors.
While the cause of pediatric ulcerative colitis is unknown, there are several factors that may increase a child’s chances of getting it. Talk to your child’s doctor to learn more about possible risk factors.
Age
While ulcerative colitis is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 13-20, it can be diagnosed at any age.
Ethnicity
UC can affect any ethnic group. Caucasian people and people of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish descent are at the highest risk.
Family history
Children are at higher risk if they have a parent or sibling with the disease.
Geographic location
People who live in urban areas or industrialized countries are more likely to develop UC.
Get the facts
Are boys or girls more likely to have UC?
Either
Ulcerative colitis affects boys and girls equally.
How Your Immune System Triggers Inflammation
The immune/inflammation connection.
Normally, the immune system protects the body from disease by attacking bacteria and viruses. But with pediatric UC, the immune system becomes overactive.
Immune System Overreacts
Your child's immune system mistakenly sends white blood cells to their large intestine.
A chain reaction
This begins to set off a complex process in your child's body. Chemicals released by the white blood cells then activate other cells that promote inflammation.
Inflammation
The result is chronic inflammation that can cause abdominal pain and other symptoms of pediatric UC.
Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms
More than just pain.
Every child experiences UC differently. Symptoms may alternate one day and then overlap the next. The most common signs and symptoms of moderate to severe UC include:
Persistent diarrhea
Looser, more urgent bowel movements
Bleeding in the intestine/bloody stool
Abdominal pain
The symptoms of pediatric UC may vary from child to child and may change over time.
How HUMIRA Works
How HUMIRA works in your child’s body.
Your child’s body naturally produces a substance called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which is one of the specific sources of inflammation that contributes to pediatric UC symptoms. With pediatric UC, your child's body may produce too much of TNF-alpha.
HUMIRA works by targeting and blocking excess TNF-alpha to help reduce inflammation that contributes to pediatric UC symptoms like abdominal pain.
How HUMIRA Helps Treat Moderate to Severe Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis
With HUMIRA, remission is possible.
The goal of pediatric ulcerative colitis treatment is remission—few or no symptoms. In a clinical study of children 5 to 17 years of age with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis:
- A majority of patients were in remission after just 8 weeks
- Many patients who responded by Week 8 were in remission at 1 year
- Many of these patients maintained clinical remission of 1 year
- Additionally, a majority of those who responded by Week 8 continued to achieve symptom relief at 1 year
Additional Safety Information
Before making a decision, get the facts.
Discuss Important Safety Information for HUMIRA with your child's doctor.
Before you and your child's doctor make a decision about treatment, you should discuss the Important Safety Information for HUMIRA. Talk about any concerns you may have. Working together, you and your child's doctor can find a treatment that is right for your child.
What is the most important information I should know about HUMIRA?
You should discuss the potential benefits and risks of HUMIRA with your child's doctor. HUMIRA is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker medicine that can lower the ability of your child's immune system to fight infections. Your child should not start taking HUMIRA if your child has any kind of infection unless your child's doctor says it is okay.
- Serious infections have happened in people taking HUMIRA. These serious infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Your child's doctor should test your child for TB before starting HUMIRA, and check your child closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with HUMIRA, even if your child's TB test was negative. If your child's doctor feels your child is at risk, your child may be treated with medicine for TB.
- Cancer. For children and adults taking TNF blockers, including HUMIRA, the chance of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase. There have been cases of unusual cancers in children, teenagers, and young adults using TNF blockers. Some people have developed a rare type of cancer called hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. This type of cancer often results in death. If using TNF blockers including HUMIRA, your child's chance of getting two types of skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell) may increase. These types are generally not life-threatening if treated; tell your doctor if your child has a bump or open sore that doesn’t heal.
Learn about the most common side effects of HUMIRA.
Common side effects of HUMIRA include injection site reactions (pain, redness, rash, swelling, itching, or bruising), upper respiratory infections (sinus infections), headaches, rash, and nausea. These are not all of the possible side effects with HUMIRA. Tell your child's doctor if your child has any side effect that bothers your child or that does not go away.
It is possible to experience adverse events or side effects from HUMIRA. If your child does experience any side effects, call your child's doctor right away. These are not all of the possible side effects associated with HUMIRA. Click here to see additional Important Safety Information.