Dupixent, a drug developed by Sanofi SA and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was approved by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for the cure of eczema. The drug is used in moderate and severe skin condition that causes red and itchy rashes on the skin.
The drug will have an initial price of $37,000 per year, and it is considered to be the first powerful, injected medicine in treating serious cases of eczema. According to ABC News, the drug was subjected to extensive phases of clinical trials. In the three studies, one-third to two-thirds from a total of 2, 119 participants achieved clear to nearly clean skin after 16 weeks of treatment.
Furthermore, about 4 in 10 participants experienced lesser itching resulting to a more sound sleep and reducing anxiety and depression among eczema patients. The drug is packaged in a box containing two single-dose pre-filled syringes of Dupixent. The reported side effects of the drug include cold sores and inflammation of the eye and eye lid.
Eczema, as reported by Medical News Today, is a disease term used in two ways; used widely to describe any rash-like skin disease and it can also be used to describe atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that commonly starts during infancy. The cause of the skin condition is still unknown but it is believed to develop from hereditary and environmental factors.
The environmental cause of eczema includes; irritants, allergens, microbes, extreme temperatures, some foods, stress, and hormones. The symptoms of the disease are prominently rashes commonly appearing on scalp and cheeks. Moreover, the rashes usually bubble up cause's extreme itchiness and will lead to trouble in sleeping.
Dupixent is an antibody that patients inject subcutaneously (under the skin) every two weeks. It primarily binds to a specific protein inhibiting the immune system's inflammatory response. Because of its wide-range mechanism of action, the drug also improved cases of asthma and hay fever in eczema patients.
