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Remicade (infliximab)

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · Phase 3 active Biologic ✓ Verified May 2026

Remicade (infliximab) is a TNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody) Biologic drug developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. It is currently in Phase 3 development for Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis. Also known as: Remicade, SCH 215596.

Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a key inflammatory cytokine.

Remicade (infliximab) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody that inhibits tumor necrosis factor, a protein involved in inflammation. It is used to treat conditions such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and psoriasis vulgaris.

Likelihood of approval
62.3% vs 58.3% industry baseline
If approved by FDA: likely 2028–2030
Steps remaining: NDA/BLA submission
Confidence: High
Why this estimate
  • Baseline phase 3 → approval rate +58.3pp
    Industry-wide phase 3 drugs reach approval ~58.3% of the time (BIO/Informa 2023 industry benchmark across all therapeutic areas).
  • Immunology slight uplift +1.0pp
    Mature endpoint landscape (ACR, DAS28, PASI) makes immunology approvals slightly more predictable.
  • Big-pharma sponsor +3.0pp
    Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is a top-20 pharma sponsor — historical approval rates run ~3pp above average due to scale, regulatory experience, and trial-design quality.
Predicted approval windows by jurisdiction (conditional on FDA approval)
Regulator Country Likely year Lag vs FDA
FDA US 2028–2030
EMA EU 2029–2031 +0.7 yr
MHRA GB 2029–2031 +0.7 yr
Health Canada CA 2029–2032 +0.9 yr
TGA AU 2029–2032 +1.2 yr
PMDA JP 2029–2032 +1.5 yr
NMPA CN 2030–2033 +2.3 yr
MFDS KR 2029–2032 +1.4 yr
CDSCO IN 2029–2033 +1.8 yr
ANVISA BR 2030–2033 +2.3 yr

Hover any row for the lag rationale. Lag estimates are reduced when the drug has FDA Breakthrough or EMA PRIME designation (sponsors file globally in parallel).

Estimate based on the BIO/Informa industry phase transition rates plus per-drug modifiers for therapeutic area, sponsor type, FDA designations, mechanism, and trial design. Per-jurisdiction lags from Tufts CSDD international approval studies. Not investment, clinical or regulatory advice. Methodology: /methodology#likelihood.

At a glance

Generic nameRemicade (infliximab)
Also known asRemicade, SCH 215596
SponsorMerck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Drug classTNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody)
TargetTNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha)
ModalityBiologic
Therapeutic areaImmunology
PhasePhase 3

Mechanism of action

By blocking TNF-α, infliximab reduces the inflammatory cascade that drives autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. TNF-α is a central mediator of inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis, so its neutralization suppresses disease activity and symptoms. This mechanism allows immune tolerance to be restored in these conditions.

Approved indications

Common side effects

Key clinical trials

Primary sources

Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.

SourceUsed for
ClinicalTrials.govTrial enrolment, design, endpoints, results

Competitive intelligence

For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:

Frequently asked questions about Remicade (infliximab)

What is Remicade (infliximab)?

Remicade (infliximab) is a TNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody) drug developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, indicated for Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis.

How does Remicade (infliximab) work?

Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a key inflammatory cytokine.

What is Remicade (infliximab) used for?

Remicade (infliximab) is indicated for Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Psoriatic arthritis.

Who makes Remicade (infliximab)?

Remicade (infliximab) is developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (see full Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC pipeline at /company/merck).

Is Remicade (infliximab) also known as anything else?

Remicade (infliximab) is also known as Remicade, SCH 215596.

What drug class is Remicade (infliximab) in?

Remicade (infliximab) belongs to the TNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody) class. See all TNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody) drugs at /class/tnf-inhibitor-monoclonal-antibody.

What development phase is Remicade (infliximab) in?

Remicade (infliximab) is in Phase 3.

What are the side effects of Remicade (infliximab)?

Common side effects of Remicade (infliximab) include Infections (including serious infections), Infusion reactions, Headache, Abdominal pain, Nausea, Tuberculosis reactivation.

What does Remicade (infliximab) target?

Remicade (infliximab) targets TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and is a TNF-α inhibitor (monoclonal antibody).

Related

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing