Soliris vs Ultomiris
Both are complement inhibitors. Here is how Soliris and Ultomiris compare on class, mechanism, dosing, approval and supply.
At a glance
Key differences
- Same class. Both Soliris and Ultomiris are complement inhibitors, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.
- How they are taken. Both are given by the intravenous route.
- Time on the market. Soliris was first approved by the FDA in 2007, Ultomiris in 2018. That gives Soliris roughly 11 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
What each one treats
SOLIRIS is a complement inhibitor indicated for: the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) to reduce hemolysis. ( 1.1 ) the treatment of patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) to inhibit complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy. ( 1.2 ) Limitation of Use SOLIRIS is not indicated for the treatment of patients with Shiga toxin E. coli related hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS). the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adult and pediatric patients six years of age and older who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive. ( 1.3 ) the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in adult patients who are anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positive. ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) SOLIRIS is indicated for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PN…
ULTOMIRIS is a complement inhibitor indicated for: the treatment of adult and pediatric patients one month of age and older with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). ( 1.1 ) the treatment of adult and pediatric patients one month of age and older with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) to inhibit complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). ( 1.2 ) Limitations of Use: ULTOMIRIS is not indicated for the treatment of patients with Shiga toxin E. coli related hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS). the treatment of adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive. ( 1.3 ) the treatment of adult patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive. ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria ULTOMIRIS is indicated for the treatment of adult an…
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Eculizumab, the active ingredient in SOLIRIS, is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the complement protein C5 with high affinity, thereby inhibiting its cleavage to C5a and C5b and preventing the generation of the terminal complement complex C5b-9. SOLIRIS inhibits terminal complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis in PNH patients and complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in patients with aHUS. The precise mechanism by which eculizumab exerts its therapeutic effect in gMG patients is unknown, but is presumed to involve reduction of terminal complement complex C5b-9 deposition at the neuromuscular junction. The precise mechanism by whic…
12.1 Mechanism of Action Ravulizumab-cwvz is a terminal complement inhibitor that specifically binds to the complement protein C5 with high affinity, thereby inhibiting its cleavage to C5a (the proinflammatory anaphylatoxin) and C5b (the initiating subunit of the membrane attack complex [MAC or C5b-9]) thus preventing MAC formation. ULTOMIRIS inhibits terminal complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis in patients with PNH and complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in patients with aHUS. The precise mechanism by which ravulizumab-cwvz exerts its therapeutic effect in gMG patients is unknown, but is presumed to involve reduction of terminal complement complex C5b-9 deposition …
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How this page is built
The facts on this page are pulled directly from official U.S. FDA datasets — they are not written from memory. Each field below names the dataset it came from, so you can check it yourself.
- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 10 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.