Dupilumap bio injection

[dawnhaycock]

My daughter has just been approved for dupilumap injections. These need to be hospital administered every two weeks.

Does anyone have any experience of this injection and do you know if we might be able to move to home administration after a while?

Thanks in advance

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Dupilumab is still on early access in England (I think - it was in August anyway) so it may be a while until she’s able to self administer at home. Long term, once it’s definitely approved they will probably speed up the process to approve home administration (like they did for Mepo/Benra, where it went self-admin over night cause of COVID 😅)

Not had any experience myself (tho it’s been suggested for me so have researched it)

Hope this helps anyway 😅

[dawnhaycock in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you, she was on mepo, which since Covid I have administered but although since been on it she hasn’t had a hospital admission and has generally been much better she has not been able to get off the mepo.A little bit of a worry that it isn’t licensed for asthma and is so new. Have you not had it because it wasn’t approved for you or something you found out which put you off?

[Pipsqueak77 in reply to dawnhaycock]

Hi dawnhaycock

I don’t know a lot about Dupilumab - sorry am on Benralizumab ! However there are several patients at my asthma clinic that have been having it for at least 6months - for asthma.

They seem to be offering it to the patients who don’t do so well on Mepo or Benra.

Benra has been really great for me .. could she not try this first maybe if you are concerned about moving straight onto Dupilumab ?

Also (not sure if it’s helpful or not!) but my clinic are no longer starting patients on Mepo.. they go straight to Benra as it is supposed to be better??

Sorry I can’t add any more.. but I hope you get the correct treatment soon🤞

Take care 👍😊

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to dawnhaycock]

I’m on benra now (prev tried xolair and mepo). They decided to try me on addition kenalog injections (to replace oral steroids) to see if that made a difference. It has, but they are talking a wean so 🤷‍♀️. They are still thinking of switching me (I have both eos and IgE markers, and had a really bad summer) but wanted to try this first so 🤷‍♀️

It’s licensed in other countries, and without COVID I suspect it would have been by now. Early access tends to mean it’s approved but they are negotiating the cost of drug with the pharmaceutical company 😉😂. (It’s not yet in the online BNF for asthma, but if that’s not been updated it may mean it’s had approval etc)

I’m not sure what you mean about getting off the mepo... MABs are a long term treatment, stopping the eosin production, and thus preventing eosinophilic asthma - take it away and the body starts producing them again and so the asthma comes back. Do you mean off of steroids? That’s usually the goal, but if you can demonstrate how cost effective the MAB is (no hosp trips, better qol etc compared to prev) then they usually agree to keep you on...

[dawnhaycock in reply to EmmaF91]

Yes, sorry I mean she couldn't get off the steriods. keeps weaning but then getting poorly again around 10mg so have to go back up to 40mg