Drug & supplement interaction

Selenium + Anifrolumab-Fnia

Anifrolumab-Fnia brand name: Saphnelo.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Selenium has a moderate interaction with Anifrolumab-Fnia. Theoretically, selenium supplementation may reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressant therapy.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Selenium and Anifrolumab-Fnia

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Anifrolumab-Fnia

Anifrolumab-Fnia falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Selenium interacts with.

Theoretically, selenium supplementation may reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressant therapy.
In vitro research and preliminary clinical evidence suggests that selenium may stimulate the immune system.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thinking behind pairing selenium with Saphnelo (anifrolumab). Saphnelo is a lab-made antibody that calms an overactive immune system to help control lupus. Selenium, on the other hand, may gently nudge the immune system in the opposite direction. The theory is that if selenium revs up immune activity, it could work against what Saphnelo is trying to do, potentially making your lupus treatment a little less effective (think more joint pain, skin flares, or fatigue if disease activity creeps back).

I want to be honest about how shaky this is: it comes only from lab and early studies, not solid human trials, so it may not matter in real life. The selenium you get from a normal diet is very unlikely to be an issue. If you're thinking about a concentrated supplement, just run it by your doctor or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Peretz, A., Neve, J., Desmedt, J., Duchateau, J., Dramaix, M., and Famaey, J. P. Lymphocyte response is enhanced by supplementation of elderly subjects with selenium-enriched yeast. Am.J Clin.Nutr. 1991;53(5):1323-1328. PubMed
  2. Kiremidjian-Schumacher, L., Roy, M., Wishe, H. I., Cohen, M. W., and Stotzky, G. Supplementation with selenium and human immune cell functions. II. Effect on cytotoxic lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Biol.Trace Elem.Res. 1994;41(1-2):115-127. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Selenium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Selenium has 287 moderate, 33 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Anifrolumab-Fnia one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 287 Minor 33 No known interaction 2,510 (incl. Anifrolumab-Fnia)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Selenium

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Selenium. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Selenium or Anifrolumab-Fnia

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Selenium or Anifrolumab-Fnia, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Anifrolumab-Fnia

This page covers Selenium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Anifrolumab-Fnia page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Anifrolumab-Fnia page

“Nearly everything on this page tells one story about anifrolumab-fnia (Saphnelo). The medication treats lupus by dialing down an overactive part of the immune system, and the supplements listed below, from echinacea to astragalus to ashwagandha, are flagged for the opposite reason: they appear to stimulate immune activity.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Anifrolumab-Fnia interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Selenium as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 16,942 real supplement products containing Selenium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Selenium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Anifrolumab-Fnia too, on top of Selenium — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Selenium and Anifrolumab-Fnia Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Selenium
Top 1%

#15 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Anifrolumab-Fnia
Top 25%

#420 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Selenium

What is Selenium?

  • Thyroid health support
  • Antioxidant support
  • Immune support
  • General nutrient supplementation
  • Reproductive/fertility support

Selenium is an essential trace mineral your body needs in small amounts for thyroid function, antioxidant defense, and immune health. Most people who eat a varied diet get enough, and supplements are mainly useful for those who are deficient. Because too much selenium can be toxic, stick to recommended amounts and check with your pharmacist or doctor before supplementing.

Read the full Selenium monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Anifrolumab-fnia Injection

What Is Anifrolumab-fnia Injection Used For?

Brand name: Saphnelo

Saphnelo (anifrolumab-fnia) is used to treat adults with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. It is used alongside standard SLE treatments, not as a replacement for them.

Saphnelo is not recommended for patients with severe active lupus nephritis (serious kidney inflammation from lupus) or severe active central nervous system lupus, because its effectiveness in those situations has not been established.

See full Anifrolumab-fnia Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Selenium

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Selenium — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
287Moderate
33Minor
2,509No known interaction
287 Moderate 33 Minor 2,509 No interaction
Moderate

287 interactions

Showing 60 of 287 moderate interactions — see all 287 on the Selenium page.

Minor

33 interactions

No interaction 2,509 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Selenium against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,509 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Selenium list.

See the full Selenium interactions page
See every supplement checked against Anifrolumab-Fnia, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Selenium monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Anifrolumab-Fnia supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Anifrolumab-Fnia, ranked by severity Anifrolumab-fnia Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Selenium and Anifrolumab-Fnia Together: Common Questions

Can you take Selenium with Anifrolumab-Fnia?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Selenium and Anifrolumab-Fnia interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Anifrolumab-Fnia and Selenium?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.