Medication

Dupixent (Dupilumab) Receives FDA Approval for Pulmonary Disease COPD

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Dupixent (dupilumab) injections as adjunctive therapy for some adults with uncontrolled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The FDA cleared Dupixent for people with COPD who use inhaled COPD medications but still have too many eosinophils. An important part of the immune system, eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that can cause inflammation in the lungs and worsen breathing problems. Dupixent is an “add-on” treatment that these patients can take in addition to inhaled medications, the drug’s maker, Sanofi, said in a statement.

Dupixent is a biologic drug, a new class of drugs made from living cells or parts of living things, such as proteins. It works by targeting parts of the immune system that contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases.

Sanofi says Dupixent is the first biologic for COPD.

“People living with uncontrolled COPD have long been waiting for new medications to help manage the daily suffering they experience from wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and unexpected hospitalization,” Jean Wright, MD, executive director of the COPD Foundation, said in a statement from the drugmaker.

“These patients often struggle with daily activities that many people take for granted, such as walking or running outside the house,” Dr. Wright said in the statement. “We welcome the approval of this new treatment option to give patients a new way to help better manage their disease.”

When Inhaled Medicines Don’t Work for COPD

People with COPD suffer from conditions that block the flow of air in the lungs and make it difficult to breathe. Many people have emphysema, which occurs when the air sacs in the lungs called alveoli don’t work properly, or chronic bronchitis – which occurs when inflammation in the airways causes mucus to build up in the lungs.

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