You may be one of the 4 out of 5 adults with severe asthma that may be due to eosinophils*
What are eosinophils, and how could they be affecting your asthma?
Everyone has eosinophils (e-o-SIN-o-phils). They’re white blood cells, a normal part of your immune system. But for some people, too many can cause airway inflammation and lead to asthma attacks. This type of asthma is known as eosinophilic asthma.
If you have eosinophilic asthma, you are not alone. In fact, approximately 4 out of 5 adults with severe asthma may have eosinophilic asthma.* A simple blood test may help determine if you have eosinophilic asthma. Ask your doctor about your eosinophil count.
*A registry study considered ~84% of severe asthma patients most likely to have eosinophilic asthma based on several factors, including increased blood eosinophil levels (≥150 cells/μL).
Eosinophils can impact asthma
Eosinophils can become active due to common asthma triggers. As a result, activated eosinophils can cause inflammation in the lungs. This inflammation may lead to increased asthma symptoms and attacks. If you have any of the following symptoms, they may be signs of eosinophilic asthma:
Waking up at night more than twice a month due to asthma
Using a rescue inhaler more than 2 times a week
Using oral steroids often—2 or more times per year
FASENRA treats a different type of asthma called eosinophilic asthma.
FASENRA targets and removes eosinophils, a key cause of inflammation that can lead to asthma symptoms and attacks in people living with eosinophilic asthma.
The mechanism of action of FASENRA in asthma is not fully understood.
Find Out More About FASENRAfrequently asked questions
Your healthcare provider can review your current medications, history with asthma, and breathing tests, as well as measure your eosinophil count with a simple blood test to help determine if your asthma is eosinophilic asthma.
FASENRA is a maintenance medicine and should be added to current treatments.
When added to current asthma treatments, FASENRA has been clinically proven to help:
- prevent asthma attacks
- improve lung function better than standard asthma medicines alone
For people who rely on oral steroids, FASENRA can help:
- lower oral steroid use*
- some people completely stop using oral steroids†
Your results may vary.
Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless your health care provider tells you to.
*For people taking oral steroids daily.
†Complete reduction of daily steroid use was only in patients taking a daily dose of 12.5 mg or less.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems.
FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including:
- allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA 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
Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA
- are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
Do not stop taking your other medicines unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. Tell your healthcare provider if your condition does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA.
The most common side effects of FASENRA:
- adults and children 6 years and older with asthma include headache and sore throat
- adults with EGPA include headache
- adults and children 12 years and older with HES include headache, allergic reactions, and flu-like symptoms
These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA.
APPROVED USE
FASENRA is a prescription medicine used:
- with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in adults and children 6 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. FASENRA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems.
- to treat adults with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).
- to treat adults and children 12 years and older with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES).
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information and Instructions for Use.
You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products.
