Benralizumab

Generic name: Benralizumab
Brand names: Fasenra
Dosage form: subcutaneous injection
Drug class: Interleukin inhibitors

Usage of Benralizumab

Benralizumab is a biological drug called a monoclonal antibody. It is an injectable medication used as an add-on therapy to prevent eosinophilic asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease that causes your airways to narrow and swell, making it difficult to breathe.

Eosinophilic asthma is a rare type of asthma caused by high levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell and part of your immune system. Eosiniphils are involved in fighting infections and causing inflammation.

Benralizumab works by binding to the alpha subunit of the human interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα) on the surface of eosinophils, which signals other cells of your immune system to kill these inflammation-causing cells. This process reduces the number of eosinophils in your blood and is called antibody-Dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Benralizumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. No biosimilars of benralizumab have been approved. Biosimilars are highly similar versions of a biological drug that are designed to have the same effect on a person, but a biosimilar is not identical to the original version of the drug.

Benralizumab side effects

Benralizumab may cause serious side effects, including:

allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your benralizumab injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:

swelling of your face, mouth and tongue

breathing problems

fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)

rash

hives

The most common side effects of benralizumab include headache and sore throat.

These are not all the possible side effects of benralizumab.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Benralizumab

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if benralizumab will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with benralizumab.

There is a pregnancy registry for women who use benralizumab while pregnant. The purpose of the registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. You can talk to your healthcare provider about how to take part in this registry or you can get more information and register by calling 1‑877-311-8972 or go to Mothertobaby.org/benralizumab.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if benralizumab passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use benralizumab and breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use benralizumab.

Relate drugs

How to use Benralizumab

The recommended dose of benralizumab is 30 mg every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses, followed by once every 8 weeks thereafter.

Benralizumab is administered by suBCutaneous injection.

What other drugs will affect Benralizumab

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.