Fasenra

Fasenra is a prescription medication used to treat severe eosinophilic asthma in patients 12 years and older with other medications for asthma.

Fasenra belongs to a group of drugs called immunotherapy. Fasenra targets cells in your body called eosinophils, which can be a key cause of severe asthma. 

This medication comes in an injectable form to be given just under the skin (subcutaneously) by a healthcare provider—one dose every 8 weeks after the first 2 months.

Common side effects of Fasenra include headache and sore throat.

Fasenra is a prescription medication used to treat severe asthma in patients 12 years and older who have a high amount of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, in the blood. Fasenra is to be used with other maintenance medications for asthma.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Fasenra. See the “Fasenra Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Fasenra include the following:

• headache
• sore throat
• fever
• allergic reaction

This is not a complete list of Fasenra side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

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

No drug interactions have been studied by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Fasenra including the following:

• hypersensitivity (severe allergic reaction). Tell your healthcare provider about any signs or symptoms of hypersensitivity, which include the following:
  • chest pain
  • swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, arms, or legs
  • feeling faint, dizzy, or lightheaded (low blood pressure)
  • difficulty breathing or swallowing
  • rash

Do not take Fasenra if you are allergic to Fasenra or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Fasenra, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Fasenra, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Fasenra or to any of its ingredients
• are taking any oral or inhaled steroid medications. Do not stop taking these medications unless told to by your healthcare provider.
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Fasenra. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication. 

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Fasenra crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Fasenra.

Fasenra comes in an injectable form and is given just under the skin by a healthcare provider. Fasenra is given once every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses and then every 8 weeks.

If you miss or skip a dose, call your healthcare provider.

The recommended dose of Fasenra for the treatment of severe asthma is 30 mg given once every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses and then every 8 weeks.

If Fasenra is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.