Humira (adalimumab) is a prescription drug used to treat hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). It helps reduce moderate to severe symptoms of this condition. Humira is also available in biosimilar forms.

Humira comes as a liquid solution that’s injected under your skin.

The active ingredient in Humira is adalimumab. Humira belongs to a group of biologic drugs called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

Humira has boxed warnings. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see the “What should I know before using Humira?” section.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long-term skin condition that causes painful bumps or sores. These typically develop in areas where skin rubs together, such as the armpits or groin.

The exact cause of HS isn’t fully understood. It may be linked to blocked hair follicles from bacteria or other substances. This blockage can lead to inflammation, which causes the skin bumps or sores to form.

HS is classified in stages ranging from mild to severe. Your doctor will use this classification to determine the stage of your condition and recommend treatment options accordingly.

What are the symptoms of HS?

Symptoms of HS include painful, tender skin bumps that may leak fluid or blood. In some cases, the bumps can form tunnels under the skin or leave scars as they heal.

Who is Humira prescribed for?

Doctors prescribe Humira to treat moderate to severe HS in adults and children ages 12 years and older.

Keep reading to learn how Humira works to treat HS.

How does Humira work?

Inflammation causes HS (a skin condition) that leads to painful bumps or sores.

Humira works by targeting a protein in your body called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which plays a role in inflammation. By blocking TNF, Humira helps reduce skin inflammation and ease symptoms of HS.

To learn more about how Humira works, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Is Humira used in children?

Humira is used to treat moderate to severe HS in children ages 12 years and older.

Studies show that Humira is an effective treatment for HS. Many people who used Humira in studies had fewer symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment.

To learn more about how Humira performed in these studies, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also view the drug’s prescribing information.

Here are the recommended dosages of Humira for treating HS. But be sure to follow the instructions and dosage your doctor prescribes.

What’s the usual dosage for Humira?

For HS, the typical starting dose of Humira is 160 milligrams (mg). This can be given as a single dose or split into two doses over 2 days. For example, you might inject 80 mg on day 1 and another 80 mg on day 2.

You’ll inject a single 80-mg dose, 2 weeks later (day 15). Starting 2 weeks after that (day 29), your ongoing (maintenance) dosage will be either 40 mg once per week or 80 mg every other week, depending on what your doctor recommends.

Note: Humira has other uses in addition to treating HS. The dosage may be different for these other uses. To learn more, see this Humira dosage article or talk with your doctor.

How do you use Humira?

Humira comes as a liquid solution inside single-use injection pens, syringes, or vials. It’s given as an injection under the skin of your abdomen or thigh.

You should not inject Humira into the areas of your skin that are bruised, hard, discolored, or tender. Be sure to rotate the place where you inject the drug with each dose. This will help lower your risk of pain, discoloration, and swelling at the injection site.

If you have questions about using Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

How often should I use Humira?

Depending on the dosage your doctor prescribes, you’ll use Humira once every 1 or 2 weeks.

Using Humira for HS may cause side effects in some people. These side effects can be mild or serious. This medication is also approved to treat other conditions. The side effects of Humira when used to treat HS were generally the same as when it was used for other conditions.

The following lists include some of the main side effects that have been reported by people using Humira. For information about other possible side effects of this medication, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

You can also learn more from this Humira side effects article or from the drug’s prescribing information.

What are Humira’s mild side effects?

Humira may cause mild side effects in some people. These include:

In many cases, mild side effects from the drug can be temporary and some may be easily managed. But if side effects persist, or become bothersome or severe, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

What are Humira’s serious side effects?

Using Humira may lead to rare but serious side effects. Examples include:

To learn more about the drug’s boxed warnings, see the “What should I know before using Humira?” section.

Call your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects while using Humira. If the side effects seem life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Allergic reaction

For some people, Humira can cause an allergic reaction.

In general, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should continue Humira treatment.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Humira, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Before starting Humira treatment, there’s some important information to keep in mind. This drug may not be a safe option for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Some of these are mentioned below.

Boxed warnings

This drug has boxed warnings. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the FDA. It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Risk of severe infection: Humira may increase your risk of serious infection, such as tuberculosis (TB). In some cases, serious infection may be fatal.

Symptoms may vary depending on the specific infection. Examples include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Certain factors may increase your risk of serious infection with Humira, including:

  • being exposed to TB
  • being age 65 years or older
  • having a current or past infection that lasts longer than is typical or keeps coming back
  • traveling or living in places with a higher risk of TB or certain fungal infections
  • having a condition that weakens your immune system, such as HIV
  • taking medications that weaken your immune system, such as corticosteroids

Before prescribing Humira, your doctor may have you tested for TB. If the test shows that you have this bacteria in your system, your doctor will likely treat the TB before you start Humira treatment.

If you have symptoms of an infection during Humira treatment, talk with your doctor. They can order tests to check whether you have an infection and treat it if needed. They may also temporarily stop your Humira treatment until the infection clears.

Risk of cancer: Humira may increase your risk of certain cancers, such as skin cancer and lymphoma. Cancer may be fatal in some cases.

Symptoms can vary depending on the specific type of cancer involved. A few examples include swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss.

If you have symptoms of cancer during your Humira treatment, talk with your doctor. They can order tests to check for cancer. They’ll discuss your treatment plan with you and whether it’s safe for you to continue Humira treatment.

Before starting Humira, talk with your doctor about your cancer risk. Be sure to tell them if you’ve had cancer in the past. This could increase your risk of developing cancer with Humira.

To learn more about these warnings, talk with your doctor.

What other warnings should I know about?

In addition to boxed warnings, Humira has other warnings. If any of the following medical conditions or other health factors apply to you, talk with your doctor before starting Humira.

Keep reading for answers to common questions about using Humira for HS.

How does Humira compare with Cosentyx for HS?

Humira (adalimumab) and Cosentyx (secukinumab) are both used to treat HS. However, they work in different ways and have different dosing schedules.

Each drug targets a different protein involved in inflammation. Humira blocks tumor necrosis factor (TNF), while Cosentyx blocks interleukin-17 (IL-17).

Humira is given once every 1 or 2 weeks. Cosentyx is given once every 4 weeks.

Your doctor can explain more about how these drugs compare and help you decide which treatment may be right for managing HS.

How long do you take Humira for HS?

If Humira is working well and you’re not having serious side effects, your doctor may recommend using it long term.

Since HS is an ongoing condition, Humira may be used as part of your long-term treatment plan to help manage symptoms.

Your doctor will monitor your condition regularly and can tell you how long you’ll continue Humira treatment.

The price of Humira depends on several factors. These can include your treatment plan, your insurance plan, the pharmacy you use, and your location.

Humira is a brand-name biologic drug, which means it’s made from parts of living organisms. It’s available in several biosimilar versions: Amjevita, Cyltezo, Hadlima, Hyrimoz, Idacio, Simlandi, Yuflyma, and Yusimry. Biosimilars are like generic drugs, but unlike generics (which are made for nonbiologic drugs), biosimilars are made for biologics.

Brand-name biologics usually cost more than biosimilars. To learn about the biosimilar forms of Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.