Ixekizumab: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

How ixekizumab is dosed

From the FDA label for Taltz (application BLA125521). Other ixekizumab products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Administer by subcutaneous injection. Adult Plaque Psoriasis ( 2.2 ) Recommended dosage is 160 mg (two 80 mg injections) at Week 0, followed by 80 mg at Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, then 80 mg every 4 weeks. Pediatric Plaque Psoriasis ( 2.3 ) For patients weighing greater than 50 kg, recommended dosage is 160 mg (two 80 mg injections) at Week 0, followed by 80 mg every 4 weeks. For patients weighing 25-50 kg, recommended dosage is 80 mg at Week 0, followed by 40 mg every 4 weeks. For patients weighing less than 25 kg, recommended dosage is 40 mg at Week 0, followed by 20 mg every 4 weeks. Psoriatic Arthritis ( 2.4 ) Recommended dosage is 160 mg by subcutaneous injection (two 80 mg injections) at Week 0, followed by 80 mg every 4 weeks. For psoriatic arthritis patients with coexistent moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, use the dosing regimen for adult plaque psoriasis. ( 2.2 ) TALTZ may be administered alone or in combination with a conventional DMARD (e.g., methotrexate). Ankylosing Spondylitis ( 2.5 ) Recommended dosage is 160 mg by subcutaneous injection (two 80 mg injections) at Week 0, followed by 80 mg every 4 weeks. Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis ( 2.6 ) Recommended dosage is 80 mg by subcutaneous injection every 4 weeks. 2.1 Testing and Procedures Prior to Treatment Initiation Perform the following evaluations prior to TALTZ initiation: Evaluate patients…

Ixekizumab side effects

Who shouldn’t take ixekizumab

Ixekizumab and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

Little information is available on the clinical use of ixekizumab during breastfeeding. Because ixekizumab is a large protein molecule with a molecular weight of 146,000 Da, the amount in milk is likely to be very low. It is also likely to be partially destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract and absorption by the infant is probably minimal. Some professional guidelines state that the drug is acceptable to use during breastfeeding. Until more data become available, ixekizumab should be used with caution during breastfeeding, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. Waiting for at least 2 weeks postpartum to resume therapy may minimize transfer to the infant.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised November 15, 2023. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about ixekizumab

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 1,307 reports naming ixekizumab, and the FDA flagged 85% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

• psoriasis162 reports
• arthralgia98 reports
• treatment failure94 reports
• psoriatic arthropathy81 reports
• nausea76 reports
• therapeutic product effect decreased76 reports
• cardiac failure congestive67 reports
• ejection fraction decreased61 reports

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.

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