Can you identify these newer injectable asthma medications? To find out, match each brand name in Section I with its generic name in Section II.

Section I.

______ 1. Dupixent (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis)

______ 2. Xolair (Genentech, Inc.)

______ 3. Fasenra (AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP)

Section II

a. benralizumab. This selective interleukin (IL)-5 receptor blocker is indicated for add-on maintenance treatment of severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype in patients age 12 years and older.1 Benralizumab reduces the number of eosinophils in a patient's blood. It is administered once every 4 weeks for the first three doses and once every 8 weeks thereafter. The most common adverse reactions of benralizumab include headache and pharyngitis; severe allergic reactions have been reported.1

b. omalizumab. This immunoglobulin (Ig)G monoclonal antibody works by inhibiting IgE-mediated inflammation and by blocking the effects of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. It is indicated for moderate-to-severe persistent asthma in adults and pediatric patients age 6 years and older who have a positive skin test or in vitro reactivity to a perennial aeroallergen and symptoms that are inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids.3 This medication is administered by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 75 to 375 mg every 2 or 4 weeks, with dose and dosing frequency dependent on serum total IgE levels and the patient's body weight. Doses of more than 150 mg should be divided among more than one injection site to limit injections to not more than 150 mg per site. The most common adverse reactions include arthralgia, myalgia, fatigue, and injection site reactions. Omalizumab should be initiated in a healthcare setting that is prepared to manage anaphylaxis. Patient-specific factors for determining if self-administration is appropriate (delineated in the prescribing information) should be followed accordingly.2

c. dupilumab. This medication works by blocking the effects of IL-4 and is indicated as an add-on maintenance medication for treating poorly controlled moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma or oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma in adults and pediatric patients 6 years and older.3 Dupilumab is available as a prefilled pen or prefilled syringe, with the proper device and dosing dependent on a patient's age, and, in children ages 6 to 11 years, weight. Dupilumab should be administered as a subcutaneous injection once every other week in the thigh or abdomen, greater than 2 inches around the umbilicus. The most common adverse reactions of dupilumab include oropharyngeal pain, injection site reactions, eosinophilia, and, rarely, severe allergic reactions.3

Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. A

REFERENCES