Uplizna: Dosage, side effects, uses, interactions, cost, and more
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Uplizna to treat certain conditions. Uplizna may also be used off-label for other conditions. Off-label drug use is when an FDA-approved drug is prescribed for a purpose other than what it's approved for. Uplizna for NMOSD
Uplizna is FDA approved to treat NMOSD in certain adults. Specifically, it's used in adults who test positive for an antibody (a type of immune system protein) called anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4).
NMOSD is a long-term autoimmune disorder that damages nerves in your eyes and spinal cord. Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in your body. With NMOSD, your immune system mistakenly attacks nerve cells in your spinal cord and optic nerves. This stops these nerves from sending messages correctly.
Symptoms of NMOSD can include: eye pain
vision changes, such as dim or blurry vision
pain, tingling, or numbness
muscle spasms or weakness
trouble walking
problems with bladder or bowel control
hiccups
nausea and vomiting
With NMOSD, you typically have periods where your symptoms flare up or worsen. These are called relapses or attacks. They may be followed by periods of remission, where your symptoms get better or go away.
Uplizna helps to stop your immune system from attacking your optic nerves and spinal cord. This helps prevent the number and severity of relapses you may have. It may also lower your risk of needing hospital treatment for your symptoms.
For this purpose, Uplizna may be prescribed on its own or with other drugs for NMOSD.
Examples of other drugs that doctors may prescribe with Uplizna include corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone (Medrol) and prednisone. Uplizna for IgG4-RD
Uplizna is FDA approved to treat IgG4-RD in adults. Doctors may also call this condition IgG4-related sclerosing disease or IgG4-related systemic disease.
IgG4-RD is a long-term autoimmune disorder that damages tissues and organs throughout your body. Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in your body. With IgG4-RD, your immune system mistakenly attacks many different tissues and organs in your body. This can cause widespread inflammation and damage to multiple organs.
The organs and tissues most often affected by IgG4-RD include the pancreas, salivary glands, eyes, and tissues around the digestive organs. Other organs affected include the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and thyroid.
Symptoms of IgG4-RD can vary, depending on what part of the body is affected. They can include: lumps, masses, or swellings
dry mouth or eyes
bulging eyes
shortness of breath
belly or back pain
weight loss
fatigue
headaches
With IgG4-RD, your symptoms may be ongoing, or they may flare up or get worse from time to time. You may also develop new symptoms if more parts of your body become affected. Flare-ups are also called relapses or attacks. Some people may also have periods of remission, where their symptoms get better or go away for a time.
Uplizna helps to stop your immune system from attacking healthy tissues in your body. This helps prevent the number and severity of relapses you may have.
For this purpose, Uplizna may be prescribed on its own or with other drugs for IgG4-RD.
Examples of other drugs that doctors may prescribe with Uplizna include corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone (Medrol) and prednisone. Uplizna and children
Uplizna is not FDA-approved for any use in children. It's not known if the drug is safe or effective in children.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Broken bones caused by osteoporosis cost British economy more than £142 million in Labour's first year in power
Broken bones caused by osteoporosis have cost the British economy more than £142 million in Labour's first year in power, according to new research. A further 660,000 work days were estimated to have been lost due to sickness absence. Campaigners say the figures, taken from independent research commissioned by the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), are just one indicator of the toll osteoporosis is taking on the UK economy. The ROS is calling for Health Secretary Wes Streeting to deliver on his promise to improve osteoporosis services in his forthcoming NHS 10-Year Plan, set to be announced next month. Osteoporosis – suffered by 3.5 million people in the UK – causes bones in the body to lose strength and break more easily. The condition can be devastatingly painful, cause permanent disabilities and reduce patients' independence, causing 500,000 broken bones every year in the UK. Half of all women and around a fifth of men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Now, new figures from the ONS on sickness absences show that musculoskeletal conditions – including osteoporosis – are the biggest single contributor of overall work days lost. The percentage of sickness absence caused by these health problems has increased every year since 2022. Mr Streeting pledged to tackle the crisis last year, promising to end the postcode lottery for early diagnostic centres for osteoporosis. Called Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), these sites triage and treat patients suspected to have the condition. Yet only half of NHS trusts in England currently have an FLS. Mr Streeting has repeatedly pledged to roll universal FLS to all parts of England by 2030 – a move that campaigners hope will be cemented in his 10-Year Plan for the Health Service. Craig Jones, chief executive at the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: 'Economic growth is rightly at the centre of the Government's mission. 'Britain is alone in seeing a sharp rise in worklessness since the pandemic, with musculoskeletal conditions like osteoporosis among the leading reasons for experienced older workers being forced into sickness and carer's absence. 'Early diagnosis of osteoporosis through Fracture Liaison Services will help prevent worklessness, and we hope the 10-Year Plan will include the rollout plan Wes Streeting has talked about so inspiringly.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
My pulse fluctuates from 80bpm to 55bpm – is this normal or should I be worried?
OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice. Today, Dr Zoe helps an elderly reader who wonders if it is normal for their pulse to fluctuates between 80bpm and 55bpm. 2 Q) I AM 82 years old and my pulse fluctuates between 80bpm and 55bpm. Is this normal? A) Strictly speaking, a normal resting heart is defined as being between 60 and 100 beats per minute. But it is perfectly normal for the heart rate to go as low as 55 at night, when the body is in a state of relaxation. Some people, particularly those who are very fit, usually athletes, may have a resting daytime heart rate that is below 60. It's generally a sign of a healthy and efficient heart. So if these lower readings are occurring at night, then there is nothing here that is concerning, especially if you feel well otherwise. It's also normal and a good sign if the heart rate increases above 100 when you are physically exerting yourself. It means the heart is responding appropriately. If your heart rate drops below 50 bpm, or the variability is not tied to rest and more active periods, or if you have any associated symptoms, then I would advise getting it checked. I'd recommend keeping an eye on any symptoms that might accompany these fluctuations, such as dizziness, fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue. The sleep position that could be a sign of heart failure - plus three other symptoms to look out for You don't say if you are using a fitness tracking watch to make these readings. If you have any abnormal activities or alerts, save them in case they become handy for any GP investigations. TIP: Symptoms of heart issues can easily be swept under the carpet. For example, shortness of breath, especially during exercise, fatigue or swelling in the ankles - which we may mistake for summer heat-related issues. These are warning signs of a potential heart-related problem. Persistent or severe symptoms warrant a trip to the GP.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
What is ‘gas station heroin' and why are health experts sounding the alarm over it?
'Gas station heroin' is rising in popularity and health officials are sounding the alarms of its potential consequences. The items are the brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. They are usually marketed as energy shots or cognitive supplements but actually contain tianeptine, an unapproved drug that can be addictive and carries risks of serious side effects. U.S. poison control centers have reported a steady rise in calls linked to the drug for more than a decade. And last month the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to health professionals about 'the magnitude of the underlying danger or these products.' Here's what to know about gas station heroin: How are these products sold in the U.S.? Tianeptine is approved in a number foreign countries as an antidepressant, usually as a low-dose pill taken three times a day. But it has never been approved by the FDA for any medical condition in the U.S. Additionally, the drug cannot legally be added to foods and beverages or sold as a dietary supplement — something the FDA has repeatedly warned U.S. companies about. Still, under-the-radar firms sell tianeptine in various formulas, often with brand names like Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red. Although that is technically illegal, the FDA does not preapprove ingredients added to supplements and beverages. 'It's kind of this grey area of consumer products, or supplements, where the contents are not regulated or tested the way they would be with a medication,' said Dr. Diane Calello of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System. Last year, Calello and her colleagues published a study documenting a cluster of emergency calls in New Jersey tied to a flavored elixir called Neptune's Fix. People experienced distress, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and seizures after drinking it. More than a dozen of the 20 patients had to be admitted for intensive care. Why use these products? Many tianeptine products claim— without evidence or FDA approval— to help users treat medical conditions, including addiction, pain and depression. In 2018, the FDA issued a warning letter to the maker of a product called Tianna, which claimed to provide 'an unparalleled solution to cravings for opiates.' While tianeptine is not an opioid, the drug binds to some of the same receptors in the brain, which can temporarily produce effects akin to oxycodone and other opioids. Tianeptine also carries some of the same physiological risks of opioids, including the potential to dangerously depress breathing. 'That's what tends to get people into trouble,' said Dr. Hannah Hays of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. 'They use it for opioid-like effects or to self-treat opioid withdrawal and that can lead to slow breathing and problems like that." People dealing with opioid addiction, pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions should see a health professional to get a prescription for FDA-approved treatments, Hays said. Is tianeptine use going up? Experts aren't sure but national figures show a big rise in emergency calls involving the drug. Calls to poison control centers increased 525% between 2018 and 2023, according to a data analysis published earlier this year. In about 40% of cases, the person had to seek medical care, with more than half of them needing critical care. One explanation for the rise in calls is simply that more Americans are using the products. But experts also say that the products are triggering more emergencies as they become more potent and dangerous. And the researchers in New Jersey who analyzed Neptune's Fix found that the liquid also contained synthetic cannabis and other drugs. 'You never quite know what's in that bottle," Calello said. 'It's important for people to know that even if they have used a product before, they could get a bottle that contains something very different from what they're looking for.' Are there policies that could reduce tianeptine use? Tianeptine is not included in the federal Controlled Substances Act, which bans or restricts drugs that have no medical use or have a high potential for abuse, such as heroin, LSD and PCP. But about a dozen states have passed laws prohibiting or restricting tianeptine, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee. In some cases, those laws have led to more cases of withdrawal among users of tianeptine, which can be chemically addictive. But state data also shows some success in reducing harm tied to the drug. Until recently, Alabama had the highest rate of tianeptine-related calls in the southern U.S., which increased more than 1,400% between 2018 to 2021. But after the state restricted tianeptine in 2021 calls began modestly decreasing while calls across other southern states continued to climb.
