Yupelri is a brand-name inhalation solution prescribed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Yupelri contains the active ingredient revefenacin and belongs to the anticholinergic drug class.
Yupelri is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for daily maintenance (ongoing) treatment of COPD in adults.
Drug details
You’ll find key information about Yupelri below.
- Drug form: solution in a single-dose vial, taken by inhalation using a nebulizer
- Generic available? no
- Prescription required? yes
- Controlled substance? no
- Year of FDA approval: 2018
Yupelri is available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic form.
A generic drug is an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs.
The following information describes Yupelri dosages that are commonly prescribed or recommended for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.
Drug form and strength
Yupelri comes as a liquid solution in single-dose vials that are used with a nebulizer. A nebulizer is a device that changes a liquid drug into a very fine mist that you breathe into your lungs via a mouthpiece or face mask.
Yupelri comes in 1 strength: 175 micrograms (mcg) in 3 milliliters (mL) of solution.
Dosage for COPD
The usual recommended dosage of Yupelri for COPD is 175 mcg (1 vial) taken by inhalation once per day.
How to take
A healthcare professional will teach you how to take Yupelri using your nebulizer. Instructions for use are also included in the medication guide that comes with the medication. For a demonstration of how to take Yupelri, you can find a video on the manufacturer’s website.
It typically takes about 8 minutes to inhale a dose of Yupelri using your nebulizer.
Do not swallow or inject Yupelri solution. And do not mix it with any other medications in your nebulizer.
About taking Yupelri
Below you’ll find information about key dosage issues.
- When to take: You should take Yupelri once per day, at the same time each day. Taking the medication around the same time of day helps keep a steady level of the drug in your body. This helps Yupelri work effectively.
- If you miss a dose: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. But if it’s nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose as at your usual time. Don’t take two doses together to make up for missing a dose.
- Taking Yupelri with food: It doesn’t matter when you take Yupelri in relation to food.
- Length of treatment: Yupelri is meant to be a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that Yupelri is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely take it long term.
- Length of time to work: Yupelri starts working as soon as you start taking it, but you might not notice its effects right away. The drug works as long-term treatment to help keep your airways open and make breathing easier. You shouldn’t take Yupelri to treat sudden shortness of breath because it won’t work for that purpose. If you have sudden breathing problems, you should use a fast-acting rescue medication such as albuterol (Ventolin HFA, others).
Overdose
Taking more than the recommended dosage of Yupelri can lead to serious side effects. Do not take more Yupelri than your doctor recommends.
Overdose symptoms
Symptoms of an overdose can include:
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- blurry vision
- increased pressure in your eyes, which may cause eye pain or redness and vision changes
- trouble urinating
- an inability to pass stools
What to do in case of overdose
If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor. You can also call America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 or use its online tool. However, if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Yupelri can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Yupelri. These lists do not include all possible side effects.
For more information about the possible side effects of Yupelri, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may be concerning or bothersome.
Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you would like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Yupelri, you can do so through MedWatch.
Mild side effects
Below is a partial list of mild side effects of Yupelri. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist or view the drug’s prescribing information.
Mild side effects of Yupelri can include:
- cough
- upper respiratory infection, such as the common cold
- headache
- back pain
- sore mouth or throat
- dizziness
Most of these side effects may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. However, if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Yupelri aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency.
Serious side effects and their symptoms can include:
- paradoxical bronchospasm (sudden tightening of your airways that’s unexpected because the drug should relax your airways), which may include symptoms such as:
- trouble breathing
- wheezing
- chest pain or tightness
- coughing
- urinary retention (an inability to fully empty your bladder), which may cause symptoms such as:
- difficulty or pain when urinating
- weak urine stream
- frequent urination
- a need to urinate again shortly after using the bathroom
- narrow-angle glaucoma, which may cause symptoms such as:
- eye pain
- eye redness
- blurry vision
- the appearance of halos or colors around lights
ALLERGIC REACTIONFor some people, Yupelri inhalation can cause an allergic reaction.
In general, symptoms of allergic reaction can be mild or serious.
Ways to manage
For mild allergic reaction symptoms, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may recommend treatments to help manage your symptoms. They’ll also let you know whether you should keep taking the medication.
For severe allergic reaction symptoms, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms require immediate medical care because they can become life threatening. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Yupelri, your doctor may recommend taking a different medication instead.
As with all medications, the cost of Yupelri can vary. The actual price you’ll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use.
Drug coupons: You can visit Optum Perks for price estimates of Yupelri. These estimates are based on the use of Optum Perks coupons. (Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.)
Financial and insurance assistance: If you need financial support to pay for Yupelri or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available.
A patient assistance program is available for Yupelri. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, call 800-796-9526 or visit the Yupelri website.
Generic version: Yupelri is not available in a generic form. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. Generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.
To learn more about saving money on prescriptions, check out this article.
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Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others. If you’re interested in finding an alternative to Yupelri, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.
The following drugs are alternatives to Yupelri:
| Drug class | Drug examples |
|---|---|
| other long-acting anticholinergic bronchodilators (the same drug class as Yupelri) | • aclidinium (Tudorza Pressair) • tiotropium (Spiriva) • umeclidinium (Incruse Ellipta) |
| long-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators | • arformoterol (Brovana) • formoterol (Perforomist) • salmeterol (Serevent) |
| inhaled corticosteroids | • budesonide (Pulmicort) • fluticasone (Flovent) |
| combination inhalers | • aclidinium/formoterol (Duaklir Pressair) • albuterol/ipratropium (Combivent Respimat) • fluticasone/salmeterol (Advair) • fluticasone/vilanterol (Breo Ellipta) • formoterol/budesonide (Symbicort) • formoterol/mometasone (Dulera) • glycopyrrolate/formoterol (Bevespi Aerosphere) • tiotropium/olodaterol (Stiolto Respimat) • umeclidinium/vilanterol (Anoro Ellipta) |
| phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors | roflumilast (Daliresp) |
| xanthine derivatives | theophylline (Theo-24, Theochron) |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Yupelri to treat certain conditions. These uses are the drug’s licensed indications.
Yupelri for COPD
Yupelri is FDA-approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.
COPD is a long-term lung condition that causes trouble breathing. With COPD, you may have varying degrees of emphysema (damage to the air sacs in your lungs) and chronic bronchitis (inflammation in the lining of your airways).
Symptoms of COPD can include:
- a cough that produces mucus
- trouble clearing mucus from your airways
- wheezing
- shortness of breath
- chest tightness
- fatigue
Yupelri is a daily maintenance (ongoing) treatment for COPD. It helps keep your airways open to make breathing easier. For this purpose, Yupelri may be prescribed by itself or with other drugs for COPD.
Examples of other COPD drugs that may be used with Yupelri include salmeterol (Serevent) and fluticasone/vilanterol (Breo Ellipta).
Note: Yupelri should not be used to treat sudden shortness of breath. If you have suddenly worsening breathing problems, you should use a fast-acting rescue medication such as albuterol (Ventolin HFA, others).
Yupelri and children
Yupelri is not FDA-approved for use in children. The manufacturer has not studied the drug’s safety or effectiveness for any uses in children.
Yupelri can interact with several other medications.
Before taking Yupelri, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
Interactions with medications
Below is a list of medications that can interact with Yupelri. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Yupelri. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Medications that can interact with Yupelri include:
- other anticholinergic drugs, such as:
- oxybutynin (Oxytrol)
- benztropine
- orphenadrine
- atropine
- cyclosporine (Neoral, others)
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
Alcohol interaction
Alcohol is not known to interact with Yupelri. It’s likely safe to consume alcohol while taking Yupelri.
However, keep in mind that alcohol and Yupelri can both cause headache and dizziness. So you may have an increased risk of these side effects if you drink alcohol with Yupelri.
If you have questions about how much alcohol is safe to drink while taking Yupelri, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you can become pregnant, consider the following information about pregnancy, birth control, and breastfeeding.
Yupelri and pregnancy
It’s not known whether Yupelri should be taken during pregnancy. If you’re planning a pregnancy or can become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Yupelri and birth control
It’s not known whether Yupelri is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while you’re taking Yupelri.
Yupelri and breastfeeding
It’s not known whether Yupelri should be taken while breastfeeding. If you’re currently breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Yupelri is a daily maintenance (ongoing) treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
With COPD, your airways are inflamed (swollen) and tight, which makes it hard for air to flow in and out of your lungs. This condition also makes it hard to clear mucus from your lungs. These issues cause symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Yupelri is a type of drug called an anticholinergic. It works by blocking the action of a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) called acetylcholine in your lungs. Acetylcholine causes the muscle around your airways to tighten. By blocking acetylcholine, Yupelri causes this muscle to relax. This helps keep your airways open, which makes breathing easier.
Each dose of Yupelri helps keep your airways open for 24 hours.
The way Yupelri works is also called its mechanism of action. If you’d like to know more about this, talk with your doctor or a pharmacist.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Yupelri.
Is Yupelri a steroid?
No, Yupelri is not a steroid. Yupelri belongs to a class of drugs called anticholinergics.
Yupelri and steroids (also called corticosteroids) are both used as daily maintenance (ongoing) treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, they work in different ways. Yupelri helps keep your airways open to make breathing easier. Steroids reduce inflammation (swelling) and mucus production in your airways, which also makes breathing easier.
Your doctor may prescribe Yupelri along with steroids to treat COPD.
Should I stop taking other COPD treatments when I start Yupelri?
No, you shouldn’t. While you’re taking Yupelri, you should continue taking any other COPD treatments your doctor prescribes. To learn what other drugs may be prescribed with Yupelri, see the “Yupelri uses” section.
Do not make any changes to your COPD treatment without talking with your doctor first, as doing so could make your breathing problems worse.
For more information about your COPD treatment plan, talk with your doctor.
Before taking Yupelri, discuss your health history with your doctor. Yupelri may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. Be sure to talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:
- liver problems
- severe kidney problems
- trouble urinating (for example, due to an enlarged prostate gland or a blockage in your bladder)
- narrow-angle glaucoma
- previous allergic reaction to this or a similar drug
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
Note: For more information about the potential negative effects of Yupelri, see the “Yupelri side effects” section.
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.