Stelara vs. Skyrizi

Stelara (ustekinumab) Injection and Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa) are used to treat plaque psoriasis.

Skyrizi is used in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Stelara and Skyrizi belong to different drug classes. Stelara is a monoclonal antibody and Skyrizi is an interleukin-23 antagonist.

Side effects of Stelara and Skyrizi that are similar include injection site reactions (bruising, itching, pain, redness, swelling, hardening of the skin, fluid leakage, bleeding, infection, inflammation, irritation, warmth), headache, and tired feeling/fatigue.

Side effects of Stelara that are different from Skyrizi include cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat), diarrhea, and skin rash or itching.

Side effects of Skyrizi that are different from Stelara include upper respiratory infections and tinea infections (such as ringworm, athlete's foot, and jock itch).

Both Stelara and Skyrizi may interact with live vaccines such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccines.

Stelara may also interact with non-live vaccines (including flu shots).

Common side effects of Stelara include:

• injection site reactions (bruising, itching, pain, redness, swelling, and hardening of the skin),
• cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat),
• headache,
• tired feeling,
• diarrhea, or
• skin rash or itching.

Stelara can affect your immune system and can lower your body's ability to fight an infection. Tell your doctor if you develop signs of an infection, such as worsening redness/swelling/tenderness at the injection site after 2 days, fever or chills, cold or flu symptoms, severe stomach pain, or persistent nausea or vomiting.

Common side effects of Skyrizi include:

• upper respiratory infections,
• headache,
• fatigue,
• injection site reactions (bruising, redness, fluid leakage, bleeding, infection, inflammation, irritation, pain, itching, swelling, warmth), and
• tinea infections (such as ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch)

Stelara (ustekinumab) Injection is a monoclonal antibody used to treat plaque psoriasis.

Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa) is an interleukin-23 antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Live vaccines such as the polio and flu vaccine may interact with Stelara. Tell your doctor all medications you use, all recent vaccines you have received, and all infections you have had. Stelara may weaken your body's ability to fight infections. If you are pregnant only take Stelara if clearly needed. Exercise caution if you are taking Stelara and are breastfeeding.

Skyrizi may interact with "live" vaccines. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use and all vaccines you recently received. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Skyrizi; it is unknown how it would affect a fetus. It is unknown if Skyrizi passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

The recommended dosage of Stelara is either 45 mg or 90 mg given on day one, then 4 weeks later, and every 12 weeks thereafter.

The dose of Skyrizi is 150 mg (two 75 mg injections) administered by subcutaneous injection at Week 0, Week 4 and every 12 weeks thereafter.