TAKE CONTROL OF HOUSE DUST MITE ALLERGY
ARE HOUSE DUST MITES THE REASON YOU STILL FEEL MISERABLE?
How to know if house dust mites are causing your symptoms—and if ODACTRA can help
The only way to know for sure if house dust mites are causing your allergy symptoms is to see an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor. They can find out by doing a skin prick test or a blood test.
SKIN PRICK TEST
SKIN PRICK TEST1
Your health care professional will put a tiny amount of dust mite allergen into your skin to see how it reacts.
2
If a raised red bump or red spot (often called a “hive” or “wheal”) appears, you have a house dust mite allergy.
3
You’ll get these results quickly because skin usually reacts within a few minutes. Your allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor likely will test for other allergies at the same time.
BLOOD TEST
BLOOD TESTAnother way to test for house dust mite allergy is with a blood test. A small blood sample is taken and tested at a lab.
It can take a few days to get the results.
Treating house dust mite allergy
There are different ways to treat a house dust mite allergy. The best choice for you will depend on a variety of things, including your age and other medical conditions you may have, as well as your lifestyle and personal preferences.
Chances are, you have already tried a few medicines that treat symptoms like antihistamines, nasal sprays, or eye drops. These are known as “symptomatic” medicines. While they may temporarily help with your symptoms, they don’t treat what is actually causing your allergy.
ODACTRA works differently. It is an allergy immunotherapy (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee). That means it trains your immune system to react less to house dust mites over time.
What if I’m allergic to other things, too?
ODACTRA can still help. House dust mite allergy acts as a base for other allergens to build upon. They keep building up until you start feeling symptoms—a point that is known as the “symptom threshold.”
Just as house dust mite allergy can make your other allergy symptoms worse, treating it can help make you feel better overall.
ODACTRA can be taken with other allergy medicines. It can help you feel better, and eventually help reduce the number of medicines you need to take.
What are the allergy immunotherapy options for house dust mite allergy?
ALLERGY IMMUNOTHERAPY TABLETS
Your allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor might refer to allergy tablets as “sublingual immunotherapy,” or “SLIT” for short.
“Sublingual” means “under the tongue.”
Allergy immunotherapy tablets are taken once daily in the convenience of your home (after the first dose is taken in your doctor’s office).
If you take other allergy medicines, you can take them along with ODACTRA. Over time, you may not need to take as many of those other medicines.
OR
ALLERGY IMMUNOTHERAPY SHOTS
Your allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor might refer to allergy shots as “subcutaneous immunotherapy,” or “SCIT” for short.
“Subcutaneous” means “under the skin.”
Allergy shots are given in your doctor’s office, as often as twice a week, every week.
Did you know?
Did you know?
According to a recent analysis of medical insurance data:
2 out
of 5
peopleof 5
who opt for allergy shots stop before their second shot
ODACTRA is the only FDA-approved prescription allergy immunotherapy tablet for house dust mite allergy that is taken at home, once daily, on your schedule.
TAKE ON DUSTIN
Learn how ODACTRA can help you take on house dust mite allergy
What is ODACTRA?
ODACTRA is a prescription medicine used for sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy to treat house dust mite allergies that can cause sneezing, runny or itchy nose, stuffy or congested nose, or itchy and watery eyes. ODACTRA may be prescribed for persons 18 through 65 years of age who are allergic to house dust mites. ODACTRA is NOT a medication that gives immediate relief for symptoms of house dust mite allergy.
Selected Important Safety Information about ODACTRA
What is the most important information I should know about ODACTRA?
ODACTRA can cause severe allergic reactions that may be life-threatening. If any of these symptoms occur, stop taking ODACTRA and immediately seek medical care:- Trouble breathing
- Throat tightness or swelling
- Trouble swallowing or speaking
- Dizziness or fainting
- Rapid or weak heartbeat
- Severe stomach cramps or pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Severe flushing or itching of the skin
For home administration of ODACTRA, your doctor should prescribe auto-injectable epinephrine to treat a severe reaction, should one occur. Your doctor will train and instruct you on the proper use of auto-injectable epinephrine.
If you forget to take ODACTRA, do not take two tablets. Take the next tablet at your normal scheduled time the next day. If you miss more than one tablet of ODACTRA, contact your doctor before restarting.
Do not take ODACTRA if:
- You have severe, unstable or uncontrolled asthma
- You had a severe allergic reaction in the past that included any of these symptoms: trouble breathing, dizziness or fainting, rapid or weak heartbeat
- You have ever had difficulty with breathing due to swelling of the throat or upper airway after using any sublingual immunotherapy before
- You have ever been diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis
- You are allergic to any of the inactive ingredients in ODACTRA
Your doctor may decide that ODACTRA is not the best treatment if:
- You have asthma, depending on how severe it is
- You suffer from lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- You suffer from heart disease such as coronary artery disease, an irregular heart rhythm, or you have hypertension that is not well controlled
- You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant during the time you will be taking ODACTRA, or are breast-feeding
- You are unable or unwilling to administer auto-injectable epinephrine to treat a severe allergic reaction to ODACTRA
- You are taking certain medicines that enhance the likelihood of a severe reaction, or interfere with the treatment of a severe reaction. These medicines include:
- Beta blockers and alpha-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure)
- Cardiac glycosides (prescribed for heart failure or problems with heart rhythm)
- Diuretics (prescribed for heart conditions and high blood pressure)
- Ergot alkaloids (prescribed for migraine headache)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants (prescribed for depression)
- Thyroid hormone (prescribed for low thyroid activity)
- If you are receiving allergy shots or other immunotherapy under the tongue. Use of more than one of these types of medicines together may increase the likelihood of a severe allergic reaction
Stop taking ODACTRA and contact your doctor if you have any mouth surgery procedures (such as tooth removal), develop any mouth infections, ulcers or cuts in the mouth or throat, or have heartburn, difficulty swallowing, pain with swallowing, or chest pain that does not go away or worsens.
The most commonly reported side effects were throat irritation/tickle, itching in the mouth or ears, swelling of the back of the mouth, lips or tongue. These side effects, by themselves, are generally not dangerous or life-threatening.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING and Medication Guide, for additional Important Safety Information.
Selected Important Safety Information about ODACTRA
What is the most important information I should know about ODACTRA?
ODACTRA can cause severe allergic reactions that may be life-threatening. If any of these symptoms occur, stop taking ODACTRA and immediately seek medical care:
- Trouble breathing
What is ODACTRA?
ODACTRA is a prescription medicine used for sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy to treat house dust mite allergies that can cause sneezing, runny or itchy nose, stuffy or congested nose, or itchy and watery eyes. ODACTRA may be prescribed for persons 18 through 65 years of age who are allergic to house dust mites. ODACTRA is NOT a medication that gives immediate relief for symptoms of house dust mite allergy.
Selected Important Safety Information about ODACTRA
What is the most important information I should know about ODACTRA?
ODACTRA can cause severe allergic reactions that may be life-threatening. If any of these symptoms occur, stop taking ODACTRA and immediately seek medical care:- Trouble breathing
- Throat tightness or swelling
- Trouble swallowing or speaking
- Dizziness or fainting
- Rapid or weak heartbeat
- Severe stomach cramps or pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Severe flushing or itching of the skin
For home administration of ODACTRA, your doctor should prescribe auto-injectable epinephrine to treat a severe reaction, should one occur. Your doctor will train and instruct you on the proper use of auto-injectable epinephrine.
If you forget to take ODACTRA, do not take two tablets. Take the next tablet at your normal scheduled time the next day. If you miss more than one tablet of ODACTRA, contact your doctor before restarting.
Do not take ODACTRA if:
- You have severe, unstable or uncontrolled asthma
- You had a severe allergic reaction in the past that included any of these symptoms: trouble breathing, dizziness or fainting, rapid or weak heartbeat
- You have ever had difficulty with breathing due to swelling of the throat or upper airway after using any sublingual immunotherapy before
- You have ever been diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis
- You are allergic to any of the inactive ingredients in ODACTRA
Your doctor may decide that ODACTRA is not the best treatment if:
- You have asthma, depending on how severe it is
- You suffer from lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- You suffer from heart disease such as coronary artery disease, an irregular heart rhythm, or you have hypertension that is not well controlled
- You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant during the time you will be taking ODACTRA, or are breast-feeding
- You are unable or unwilling to administer auto-injectable epinephrine to treat a severe allergic reaction to ODACTRA
- You are taking certain medicines that enhance the likelihood of a severe reaction, or interfere with the treatment of a severe reaction. These medicines include:
- Beta blockers and alpha-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure)
- Cardiac glycosides (prescribed for heart failure or problems with heart rhythm)
- Diuretics (prescribed for heart conditions and high blood pressure)
- Ergot alkaloids (prescribed for migraine headache)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants (prescribed for depression)
- Thyroid hormone (prescribed for low thyroid activity)
- If you are receiving allergy shots or other immunotherapy under the tongue. Use of more than one of these types of medicines together may increase the likelihood of a severe allergic reaction
Stop taking ODACTRA and contact your doctor if you have any mouth surgery procedures (such as tooth removal), develop any mouth infections, ulcers or cuts in the mouth or throat, or have heartburn, difficulty swallowing, pain with swallowing, or chest pain that does not go away or worsens.
The most commonly reported side effects were throat irritation/tickle, itching in the mouth or ears, swelling of the back of the mouth, lips or tongue. These side effects, by themselves, are generally not dangerous or life-threatening.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING and Medication Guide, for additional Important Safety Information.