Dupixent treats moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, a common childhood skin rash that regularly persists into the adult years. Also known simply as eczema, the disease causes persistent itching that ultimately results in weepy, crusted, scaly and thickened skin. First line therapy includes minimizing bathing, liberal applications of moisturizer and avoiding irritants known to cause flares. Topical steroid creams of appropriate strength mostly eliminate active disease. Only when these simple measures fail are internal therapies warranted. Unfortunately this expensive drug is often offered in place of these simple, time honored methods.
Dupixent injections every other week offer the chance for many but not all affected individuals to minimize their eruption and drastically reduce the associated itch. It achieves this without causing significant adverse reactions, although it may lead to conjunctivitis in up to 1 in 6 individuals.
As an additional benefit, Dupixent appears quite effective in treating asthma – a condition often associated with atopic dermatitis. It may also have a role in treating itchy skin not apparently associated with atopic disease, eczema or rash.
An aggressive marketing campaign designed to engage both the public and medical profession appears in the face of multiple competing drugs set to enter the market in the near future. The company hopes their first to market status will continue to provide name recognition as other options materialize.
The yearly cost for the cash paying consumer is approximately $37,000 or $100 a day.
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