Dupilumab

Dupilumab, sold under the brand name Dupixent, is a monoclonal antibody blocking interleukin 4 and interleukin 13 receptor signalling (IL-4R, IL-13R), used for allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma and nasal polyps which result in chronic sinusitis.^[7][8][9][4] It is also used for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis,^[10] prurigo nodularis^[11] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.^[12]

The most common side effects reported by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include injection site reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, joint pain, and herpes viral infections.^[10] The most common side effects reported by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) include injection-site reactions (such as redness, swelling including due to fluid build-up, itching and pain), conjunctivitis (redness and discomfort in the eye) including conjunctivitis due to allergy, joint pain, cold sores, and increased blood levels of a type of white blood cell called eosinophils.^[5] It was developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi Genzyme.^[13][14] It received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in 2017,^[8] and for asthma in 2018.^[4] The FDA considers it to be a first-in-class medication.^[15]

Dupilumab is the first treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).^[10] Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder in which eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, are found in the tissue of the esophagus.^[10] In adults and adolescents with eosinophilic esophagitis, common symptoms include difficulty swallowing, difficulty eating, and food getting stuck in the esophagus.^[10] Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that acts to inhibit part of the inflammatory pathway.^[10] Dupilumab is the first treatment for prurigo nodularis approved by the FDA.^[11] Prurigo nodularis is a rare skin disease that causes hard, itchy lumps (nodules) to form on the skin.^[11]