Risankizumab medicine card
Content date: 11 November 2026
An IL-23-targeting biologic for some cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Your next step
Check your written prescription and monitoring plan. If anything is unclear, ask your care team before changing a dose.
Get urgent help: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or fainting: seek emergency care.
How do I use it?
- Starting doses depend on the disease and locally approved product. Crohn’s induction may be intravenous or under the skin; ulcerative colitis induction is intravenous. An intravenous dose takes at least one hour for Crohn’s or two hours for ulcerative colitis. Later doses are under the skin to maintain control. Follow your schedule, train with your device, and do not switch routes or strengths yourself.
How do I store it?
- Keep in the original packaging at 2–8°C, protected from light. Do not freeze, shake or warm it to speed up preparation. How long to remove it before use depends on the device; follow its leaflet and the pharmacist’s advice.
What tests do I need?
- Liver tests and bilirubin before treatment and during induction through at least week 12, then according to the plan. The team reviews infections, tuberculosis as appropriate to your circumstances, and vaccinations before starting.
Possible side effects: what to expect
- Not everyone experiences side effects. Headache, joint aches, or injection-site redness and soreness may occur. Tell your team if these persist; checking device technique and rotating injection sites may help local discomfort.
- Infections or severe allergy can occur. Serious liver injury has been reported during treatment for bowel disease, so liver tests are monitored, particularly during induction. Keeping these checks even when you feel well, and reporting new symptoms early, helps identify and address problems.
Important points
- Do not stop treatment or double a missed dose yourself. Consult the team about live vaccines, pregnancy and breastfeeding.
My prescribed plan - complete with the team
Brand / device: ........................ | Dose and how I take or use the medicine: ........................
Next dose: ........................ | Next blood tests: ........................
Team contact: ........................
Brand / device: ........................ | Dose and how I take or use the medicine: ........................
Next dose: ........................ | Next blood tests: ........................
Team contact: ........................
When to get help
Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or fainting: seek emergency care.
Fever or infection before a dose: contact the team before it is given. Yellow eyes, dark urine, persistent nausea or upper abdominal pain need prompt contact, particularly during induction doses.