Polysorbate 80 Content in Humira vs. Shingrix
Yes, Humira contains polysorbate 80, and the standard adult dose of Humira contains significantly MORE polysorbate 80 than a single dose of Shingrix vaccine.
Polysorbate 80 Content in Humira
According to the FDA drug label, Humira formulations contain the following amounts of polysorbate 80 1:
- 40 mg/0.4 mL formulation: 0.4 mg polysorbate 80 per dose
- 40 mg/0.8 mL formulation: 0.8 mg polysorbate 80 per dose
- 80 mg/0.8 mL formulation: 0.8 mg polysorbate 80 per dose
- 20 mg/0.2 mL formulation: 0.2 mg polysorbate 80 per dose
- 10 mg/0.1 mL formulation: 0.1 mg polysorbate 80 per dose
The most commonly used adult formulations (40 mg and 80 mg doses) contain 0.4-0.8 mg of polysorbate 80 per injection.
Polysorbate 80 Content in Shingrix
Shingrix does NOT contain polysorbate 80. The recombinant zoster vaccine uses a different adjuvant system (AS01B) and does not list polysorbate 80 among its excipients 2, 3. The vaccine consists of recombinant glycoprotein E combined with the AS01B adjuvant system in a 0.5 mL dose 2.
Direct Comparison
The comparison cannot be made as originally framed because Shingrix contains zero polysorbate 80. Standard Humira doses contain 0.4-0.8 mg of polysorbate 80, while Shingrix contains none.
Clinical Relevance
Polysorbate 80 Formulation Variations
Not all Humira formulations contain the same amount of polysorbate 80. The newer citrate-free formulations (40 mg/0.4 mL and 80 mg/0.8 mL) contain polysorbate 80 as an excipient 1. Adalimumab biosimilars also vary in their polysorbate 80 content - some biosimilars contain polysorbate 80 (FKB327, MSB11022) while others use different excipients entirely 4.
Safety Considerations
Polysorbate 80 has been associated with nonimmunologic anaphylactoid reactions 5, and macromolecular impurities in polysorbate 80 preparations can cause anaphylactoid reactions through histamine release 6. However, the amounts used in Humira (0.4-0.8 mg per dose) are within established safety parameters for subcutaneous administration.
Key Takeaway
If you are comparing these medications due to polysorbate 80 sensitivity concerns, Shingrix would be the safer choice as it contains no polysorbate 80, while Humira contains 0.4-0.8 mg per standard adult dose depending on formulation.