Skip to main content

No Evidence That Live Vaccines Are Unsafe for Patients on Dupilumab

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 14, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- There is no evidence to suggest that administration of live vaccines to patients receiving dupilumab is unsafe, and vaccine efficacy is not affected by dupilumab, according to a position paper published online June 5 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Noting that dupilumab targets the interleukin (IL)-4 receptor alpha subunit, blocking the effects of IL-4 and IL-13, and that clinical trials did not allow for patients to receive live vaccines due to an abundance of caution because of its immune modulatory effects, Jay A. Lieberman, M.D., from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature on the safety and efficacy of vaccinations in patients receiving dupilumab and provided expert guidance for vaccine receipt.

The researchers found that live vaccines are safe based on the available literature on patients who received vaccinations while on dupilumab. In general, vaccine efficacy was not affected by dupilumab. The use of vaccines was agreed to be likely safe and effective.

"While the systematic review and expert consensus do not support any demonstrated or theoretical safety concern, robust studies in large patient numbers that could support a narrow confidence interval indicating safety do not exist," the authors write. "Furthermore, such studies are unlikely to be conducted or funded, which complicates the ability to alter regulatory agencies' recommendations on administering live vaccines to patients on dupilumab."

Several authors disclosed ties to Sanofi and Regeneron, the manufacturers of dupilumab.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...

FDA Approves Capvaxive Pneumococcal 21-Valent Conjugate Vaccine

FRIDAY, June 21, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Capvaxive pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal...

Systemic Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccine Tied to Greater nAB Response

TUESDAY, June 11, 2024 -- Short-term systemic side effects of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccine are associated with greater long-lasting...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.