Dupixent (Dupilumab) Injections Simplified: My First Injection

In March 2017, the FDA approved a new drug claimed to be Eczema's breakthrough miracle. Dupixent, previously known as Dupimulab, is a biologic injection that is designed to weaken over active signaling between two key proteins in your body that are said to cause the underlying inflammation in the skin. 

In one box, you get two, 300ml pre-filled syringes that should be stored in the refrigerator. This injection is self-administered into the fatty parts of your thigh or stomach every 2 weeks and should be at room temperature when done so. 

For your first dose, you'll most likely have to schedule an appointment with your dermatologist or a nurse to teach you how to correctly give yourself the injections. My appointment was about 30 minutes total and my nurse was nice enough to give me handfuls of things I needed like cotton balls, alcohol pads, spot bandages and sterile drapes to put everything on. Your first dose is going to be 600ml which is two injections so be prepared to pick up another box at your pharmacy before your next injection is due. After your very first dose, you'll only need 300ml so one box should last you one month. 

My nurse gave me the first injection in one leg and I was able to give myself the other in the opposite leg. Now let me tell you-- skin is definitely thicker than I thought it would be. I was super gentle in piercing my skin so it actually made it harder for the needle to go through. A quick, stable push is what my nurse told me to make habit of. Pushing the medicine into your skin was fun but also the part that I felt the most. The fluid is pretty thick so you feel a lot of resistance when pushing it down and in my experience, you really feel it going into your skin. The nurse advised me to push it down quickly and strongly but I found that I actually prefer pushing it down slower because it was 100% painless for me doing it that way. You also have to inject yourself at a 45 degree angle which left my hand in a position that felt a little weird but I figured that'd be normal for my first time. It's also advised to not inject yourself in the same site every time so with every injection, you'll rotate from one leg to another as well as one side of the stomach to the other. 

After you push all the way down, you'll hear a click that retracts the needle into this closed spring so you literally don't even feel the needle come out. I really like this because it protects others and objects from being exposed to the needle after you use it. 

The last step is putting it in a sharps container for safety purposes. My dermatologist unfortunately couldn't provide me with this but if you call Dupixent (844-387-4936) and let them know you're a new patient, they'll send you a cute little mini one for free that arrives in a about a week. You can also talk to your doctor or look online about the best way to dispose your needles in your area. 

Considering this drug is brand new and the first of it's kind, it does come with a hefty price tag. This injection costs $37,000 a year without insurance. With insurance, it'll obviously differ depending on what specific plan you have. I've read that monthly costs can go up to the high hundreds but Dupixent also has a program called Dupixent My Way that can help you with coverage if you enroll. Luckily for me, I'm under my Moms plan who works at the hospital I go to so the total cost for me at my pharmacy is just standard copay. I'm double covered with my own insurance through my employer as well so I was able to find out that if I went through that insurance, prior authorizations would be needed and approval wouldn't be guaranteed so in complete honesty, I'd say that this medicine could require more effort to get than others. 

A difference in your skin should be noticeable after 6-7 weeks so I haven't noticed anything different with my skin so far but I do plan on doing updates every three months or so to record my progress. Please note that this is based off of my personal experience so others may disagree and have completely different feelings. If you're curious and interested about this drug, I encourage you to bring it up with your doctor to talk about whether it may be a good treatment for you. -AC