For most adults, Dupixent is taken once every two weeks as a self-administered injection under the skin. The exact schedule depends on which condition you’re being treated for, your age, and in some cases your body weight, but every-other-week dosing is the standard across nearly all of Dupixent’s approved uses.
The Standard Schedule for Adults
Regardless of whether you’re using Dupixent for eczema (atopic dermatitis), asthma, nasal polyps, or prurigo nodularis, the maintenance pattern for adults is the same: one 300 mg injection every two weeks. The difference lies in how you start. For atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, your first appointment involves a loading dose of 600 mg, which means two 300 mg injections given at once. After that, you switch to a single 300 mg injection every other week.
For asthma without other overlapping conditions, some patients are prescribed a lower dose of 200 mg every two weeks, with a loading dose of 400 mg (two 200 mg injections). Your prescriber will choose the higher 300 mg track if you also have moderate-to-severe eczema, nasal polyps, or if you’re currently dependent on oral corticosteroids for asthma control.
For chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, there’s no loading dose at all. You simply begin at 300 mg every other week from the start.
Dosing for Children and Adolescents
Teens aged 12 and older generally follow the same every-two-week schedule as adults. For younger children aged 6 to 11, the frequency and amount are based on body weight:
- Under 30 kg (about 66 lbs): 100 mg every two weeks, or 300 mg every four weeks
- 30 kg and above: 200 mg every two weeks
One important distinction: children aged 6 to 11 being treated for asthma alone do not receive a loading dose. They start directly on their maintenance schedule. However, if a child in that age range also has moderate-to-severe eczema, the dosing plan includes a loading dose and may follow a slightly different weight-based tier.
What Your First Dose Looks Like
If your condition requires a loading dose, your very first injection day is the only time you’ll need to give yourself two shots. Many people do this at their doctor’s office so they can learn proper technique. After that initial double dose, you wait two weeks and begin your regular single-injection rhythm. Pick a consistent day of the week that’s easy to remember, like every other Saturday, to help the schedule stick.
Where and How to Inject
Dupixent goes under the skin (subcutaneously), not into a muscle. The three approved injection sites are your thigh, your stomach (at least two inches away from your belly button), and the outer area of your upper arm. The upper arm is only recommended if a caregiver is giving the shot for you, since it’s hard to reach on your own. Rotate to a different spot each time, and avoid injecting into skin that’s tender, bruised, damaged, or scarred.
The prefilled syringe or pen needs to come to room temperature before you use it. Take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit for about 30 to 45 minutes before injecting. Skipping this step can make the injection more uncomfortable.
What to Do if You Miss a Dose
You have a seven-day grace period. If you realize you’ve missed your scheduled injection day, go ahead and give yourself the shot as long as it’s been fewer than seven days. Then pick up your original every-two-week schedule from there. If more than seven days have passed, skip the missed dose entirely and just wait for your next regularly scheduled injection day. Don’t double up to make up for it.
How Long You Stay on Dupixent
Dupixent is a long-term maintenance medication, not a short course. For conditions like eczema, nasal polyps, and prurigo nodularis, the underlying inflammation returns if you stop, so most people continue indefinitely as long as the drug is working and they’re tolerating it well. For asthma, it’s similarly ongoing. Clinical trials evaluating Dupixent have run for 52 weeks and beyond, and real-world use typically continues for years.
Results aren’t immediate. Many people notice improvement in itch and inflammation within the first few weeks, but the full benefit for skin conditions often takes 16 weeks or longer to appear. For asthma, reductions in flare-ups build over the first several months. Sticking to the every-two-week schedule consistently is what drives those results.