What is XOLAIR and what is it used for? XOLAIR is an anti-IgE antibody. It is an injectable prescription medicine used to treat: Moderate to severe asthma in people (6 years and older) whose asthma symptoms are not well controlled with the normal asthma medicines called inhaled corticosteroids. A skin or blood test will be performed to see if you have allergies to year-round allergens. It is unknown if XOLAIR is safe and effective in people with asthma under 6 years of age. Nasal polyps (Add-on maintenance treatment) in people 18 years of age and older when the normal medicines to treat nasal polyps called nasal corticosteroids have not worked…

ABPA is treated with a combination of oral corticosteroids and anti-fungal medications. Inhaled corticosteroids are not effective in treating ABPA and treatments with oral corticosteroids are needed for months. The second type of treatment used is an anti-fungal medication, like itraconazole and voriconazole. These medicines help kill Aspergillus (a fungus) so that it no longer colonizes the airway. Usually, one of these drugs is given for at least 3 to 6 months. However, even this treatment does not cure you of ABPA and can have side effects. There are some studies showing that dupilumab can be used in the treatment of ABPA, but it has not been approved by any…

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is a distinct subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). It is characterized by a disease with non-invasive fungal hyphae, which causes immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated mucosal hypersensitivity resulting in the formation of eosinophilic mucin. Unlike other subtypes of CRSwNP, studies showed that the IgE level is very high in AFRS. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis requires surgical debridement (removing damaged tissue) along with medical therapy. Many patients can have AFRS recurrence post-surgery, so the patients should use topical steroids. Dupilumab has been able to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and should be able to treat AFRS, but it is under the Dupilumab Development Program (a program where two companies…

People with prurigo nodularis experience persistent itch, with thick skin lesions (called nodules) that can cover most of the body. It is described as painful with burning, stinging, and tingling of the skin. The signs and symptoms of prurigo nodularis can negatively impact health-related quality of life, including mental health, activities of daily living, and social interactions. High-potency topical steroids are commonly used to treat prurigo nodularis, which can cause risks to the body if used long-term. Dupilumab is a biologic drug that works very differently from other drugs and has significantly reduced itch and skin lesions and improved quality of life. In the phase 3 trial, dupilumab compared with…

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that results in the sudden onset of hives on the skin and swelling deep under the skin. People with CSU often experience symptoms including a persistent itch or burning sensation, which can significantly impact their quality of life. Swelling usually occurs on the face, hands, and feet, affecting the throat and upper airways. CSU is typically treated with antihistamines but, in 50% of people living with CSU their disease remains uncontrolled and only a few treatment options are available. CSU is the fifth inflammatory disease for which Dupilumab has achieved positive Phase 3 data, including atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma, chronic…

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder ( in which eosinophils, a type of white blood cell) are found in the tissue of the esophagus. Common symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis include difficulty swallowing, difficulty eating, and food getting stuck in the esophagus. The FDA has approved the use of dupilumab for eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and pediatric patients (12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms). The efficacy and safety of Dupilumab in eosinophilic esophagitis were studied in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, that included two 24-week treatment periods (Part A and Part B) that were conducted independently in separate groups of patients. In Part A and Part B, patients received…

The current treatment of asthma mainly includes the use of glucocorticoids and beta-agonists. However, these treatments have poor controllability for moderate-to-severe asthma and it also produces several side effects in their long-term use. These limitations had led to the development of dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, that inhibits IL-4 and IL-13 (receptors), which causes inflammatory diseases like eczema and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. It has a potential role in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on October 19, 2018 Let’s look at some studies on how dupilumab can be an effective treatment for asthma: 1. Extensive clinical trials have been…

Dupilumab is a biologic drug that inhibits IL-4 and IL-13 (receptors), which are the major factors of type 2 inflammatory diseases like asthma, eczema, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. It is the first biological therapy to be approved for the treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) in the EU and the USA. A case study showed that the addition of dupilumab (300 mg every 2 weeks) to the corticosteroid treatment of adults with severe, inadequately controlled CRSwNP improved: Nasal polyp size Sinus opacification and health-related quality of life It relieved nasal congestion or obstruction, nasal discharge, and loss of smell which are the major symptoms of CRSwNP.…

What is Dupilumab? Dupilumab (also known as Dupixent) is used to treat severe atopic eczema. It is a biologic drug and works in a way that is different from the other drugs used for treating eczema. They are taken in different ways like – injection (just below the skin, in the vein) and also orally. Dupilumab is the first biologic drug used to treat eczema and it comes as a ready-to-use syringe with a needle or it will be a pre-filled injector pen. There are other biologic treatments currently being developed to treat atopic eczema. How does Dupilumab work? Our body uses chemical messengers called interleukins (ILs) and it allows…

Dupilumab is a biologic drug that can treat moderate to severe eczema, asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. It is also used to treat a skin disease called Bullous pemphigoid (BP). BP is an autoimmune skin disease that results in the formation of pruritic blisters and it mainly affects older people. Let’s look at some case studies on how dupilumab can be an effective treatment for bullous pemphigoid: 1. A case study consisted of 13 patients (average age of 76.8 years) and the average duration of BP before dupilumab initiation was 28.8 months. After the initiation of dupilumab, a satisfactory response was achieved in 92.3% (12 of 13) of the patients.…