New medication Dupiexnt just approved Sept.
Hello I'm not sure if anyone has tried the new treatment for COPD. It was just approved by the FDA September 2024. It's called Dupiexnt. It's an injection you take yourself every two weeks. It targets inflammation only which basically is what causes the flare ups. I started my first injection last Wednesday and I have hardly used any of my inhalers except my maintenance inhaler which is Breztri. My next injection is next Wednesday. I'm so excited about this drug. I can breathe and have more energy to do things. It's truly a life saver. There is hope if you just look for it. Good luck everyone and I hope you will try this new treatment.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Support Group.
Looked this drug up and on their site is says:
https://www.dupixent.com/frequently-asked-questions
DUPIXENT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace an inhaled rescue medicine.
Now I am confused. Happy it is working like that for you. Is it the anti inflamtory ability?
Have you started Dupixent and if you have has it helped you? My eosinophil count is also high but my pulmonologist did not explain how Dupixent would help this.
Thanks
Yes I started it last week. Dupiexnt targets the inflammation that happens in the lung and airway. It is an injection that you take yourself every two weeks. It comes in a pen already prefilled so it's very simple. My next injection is due Wednesday . Ask your doctor about it. In my case my doctor didn't know anything about it. I told him about it and he had to discuss it with his colleague. After he researched it he prescribed it to me.
It is a maintenance medication to prevent exacerbation and flare up. It will replace your antibiotic and Prednisone. It targets the inflammation in the lungs and airways and if you are having trouble breathing you have inflammation in your airway or lungs. You can still use your rescue inhaler if needed but in my case I have not had to use mine since I started the injection. I just use my maintenance inhaler twice a day and it's Breztri.
@bonhurst I started Dupixent last week. I'm stage 3 emphysema/COPD and am under the care of a wonderful pulmonologist at Mayo. I see him every 6 months. I'm still very active and not on O2. My bloodwork over the past year has shown an increasing high eosinophil count. My most recent CT scan showed significant inflammation in my lungs and airway. Lots of additional bloodwork to rule out other possible causes. After those all came back within normal ranges, he referred me to another physician at Mayo, an immunologist/allergist.
After meeting with her and discussing my history and recent test results, she recommended that I start on Dupixent. There are certain criteria that a patient must meet to be prescribed this. High eosinophil count is one of them. However, when I met with her, the FDA had not yet approved it for COPD. She knew that it was scheduled to be approved the last week in September, which it was. She had been prescribing it for her asthma patients. It has been FDA approved for asthma and some other conditions.
As soon as it was approved, she prescribed Dupixent for me and I started it last week. As others have mentioned, it is self-injection, every two weeks (similar to an epi-pen). I'm scheduled for my second injection this week. It is a biologic that specifically targets the inflammation in the lungs and airway. The prescription is filled through a specialty pharmacy (whichever one your insurance company works with) and mine was shipped via FedEx as it has to remain refrigerated/cooled until you use it.
I have noticed that overall, my breathing is easier and I'm not as short of breath doing things that were beginning to be a little more of a challenge. I still use my maintenance inhaler (Breztri) twice a day (morning and evening) and have used my rescue inhaler a few times during the day.
My doctor told me that some of her asthma patients have had dramatic, positive results, many who have been able to wean themselves down or off their inhalers.
I have learned and created some personal rules over the past few years since my diagnosis.
*Everyone is different and responds to medication differently. Don't automatically expect to see the same results as others talk about.
*Be your own best healthcare advocate. Don't be afraid or intimidated to ask questions.
*If you're not comfortable with or don't trust your physician, find one that you do.
*Do your research. There are many reputable organizations/sites that provide great information. Educate yourself!
My apologies for the length of this response but hope it helps in some small way.
Yes, this is consistent with my understanding. I have asthma and high eosinophils as well as moderate to severe emphysema and 1-6 exacerbations/year. These past 12 months, I’ve had 3 exacerbations, 2 requiring steroids, all requiring antibiotics.
We are hoping this medication will reduce frequency and severity of exacerbations. One of my lung docs was in clinical trials on Dupixent and is very hopeful it will help me.
It comes in either a syringe or auto-injection pen. It seems like most folks use the auto-inject pen but there is an option for either. I am choosing to pick my medicine up at the specialty pharmacy because my local pharmacy doesn’t have backup generator and out power in the area has been funky and my pharmacist says he’s had lots of complaints about patients not receiving delivered meds. My 1st shot will be brought to my home by a nurse who will instruct me and watch me self-administer.
That is wonderful I'm glad you will be trying it and I hope it works well for you with no side effects. Right now I'm calling it my Miracle medicine. I believe I will have a better quality of life now. I'm so grateful for God for helping me to continue researching until I found something. Best wishes to you 🙏🏼
Dupixent aims to change the biology of your inflammation. It’s a maintenance medicine and NOT to relieve your sudden shortness of breath. For folks with the right medical profile, it has a good safety profile in providing good results with few side effects.
Mt docs are cautiously optimistic if may help many and also increase research on biological treatments that reduce underlying inflammation that worsens baby conditions.
Dupixent has been used for many years for people with severe eczema and also poorly controlled asthma with high eosinophils. My nephew who is a young dermatologist has many of his patients on Dupixent. It is a relatively safe side effect profile and is well tolerated by most patients.
Yes it has been around for awhile for it was not approved by the FDA for COPD only asthma eczema and some type of nasal polyps. If you have COPD you should ask your doctor about it. I'm breathing so much better. I just hope it continues 🙏🏼