Dupilumab Injection
Dupilumab injection is used to treat the symptoms of eczema (atopic dermatitis; a skin disease that causes the skin to be dry and itchy and to sometimes develop red, scaly rashes) in adults and children 6 months of age and older who cannot use other medications for their condition or whose eczema has not responded to other medications. It is also used along with other medications to prevent wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness due to certain types of asthma in adults and children 6 years and older whose symptoms are not controlled with other medications. Dupilumab injection is also used along with other medications to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (ongoing runny nose, sinus swelling and/or nasal congestion, with or without a reduced sense of smell or pain and pressure in the face) in adults whose symptoms are not controlled with other medications. It is also used to treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE; a condition that involves high levels of blood cells in the esophagus [tube that connects the mouth to the stomach] that may damage tissues of the esophagus) in adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg). Dupilumab injection is also used to treat prurigo nodularis (a skin condition that causes crusty lumps on the skin and severe itching) in adults. Dupilumab injection is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by stopping the action of certain substances in the body that cause inflammation.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Dupilumab injection comes as a prefilled syringe and a prefilled pen to inject subcutaneously (under the skin). For the treatment of eczema in adults, it is usually given as two injection(s) for the first dose, followed by one injection every 2 weeks. For the treatment of eczema in children 6 to 17 years of age, it is usually given as two injections for the first dose, followed by one injection every 2 or 4 weeks depending on the weight of the child; for children 6 months to 5 years of age with eczema, it is usually given every 4 weeks. For the treatment of of asthma in adults and children 12 years of age and older, it is usually given as two injection(s) for the first dose, followed by one injection every 2 weeks. For the treatment of asthma in children 6 to 11 years of age, it is usually given as one injection every 2 or 4 weeks depending on the weight of the child. For the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis in adults, it is usually given as one injection every 2 weeks. For the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and children 12 years of age and older, it is usually given as one injection once a week. For the treatment of prurigo nodularis, it is usually given as two injections for the first dose, followed by one injection every 2 weeks. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use dupilumab injection exactly as directed. Do not inject more or less of it or inject it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
If you are using dupilumab and have asthma, continue to take or use all other medications that your doctor has prescribed to treat your asthma. Do not stop taking any of your medications or change the doses of any of your medications unless your doctor tells you that you should. Dupilumab injection helps to prevent asthma attacks but will not stop an asthma attack that has already started. Do not use dupilumab injection during an asthma attack. Your doctor will prescribe an inhaler to use during asthma attacks.
You may receive your first dose of dupilumab injection in your doctor’s office. After that, your doctor may allow you or a caregiver to perform the injections at home. Before you use dupilumab injection yourself the first time, read the manufacturer’s information for the patient that comes with the medication. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you or the person who will be giving the medication how to inject it.
Use each syringe and pen only once. Dispose of used syringes and pens in a puncture-resistant container. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how to dispose of the puncture-resistant container.
If you are using a prefilled syringe or prefilled pen that has been refrigerated, place the syringe on a flat surface without removing the needle cap and allow it warm to room temperature (30 minutes for the 100 mg or 200 mg prefilled syringe and 45 minutes for the 300 mg prefilled syringe or prefilled pen) before you are ready to inject the medication. Do not try to warm the medication by heating it in a microwave, placing it in hot water, or through any other method.
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Do not shake a syringe or pen that contains dupilumab.
Always look at dupilumab solution before injecting it. Check that the expiration date has not passed and that the liquid is clear and colorless or slightly yellow. The liquid should not contain visible particles. Do not use a syringe or pen if it is cracked or broken, if it is expired or frozen, or if the liquid is cloudy or contains small particles.
You can inject dupilumab injection anywhere on the front of your thighs (upper leg) or abdomen (stomach) except your navel and the area 2 inches (5 centimeters) around it. If a caregiver injects the medication, the back of the upper arm may also be used. To reduce the chances of soreness or redness, use a different site for each injection. Do not inject into an area where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard or where you have scars or stretch marks.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.
