A Senior Capstone Experience by Vani Chauhan ’25

Submitted to the Departments of Biology and Business Management

Advised by Dr. Jennifer Wanat and Dr. Caddie Putnam Rankin

Contributor Biography: Vani graduated summa cum laude from Washington College as a Biology and Business Management double major with a minor in Chemistry on the pre-med track. During her time at WC she conducted research as part of the Toll Fellows research program and was a portfolio manager and senior analyst for the Brown Advisory Student Managed Investment Fund. She was also involved on campus as the president of the Student Events Board, treasurer and choreographer for dance club, and treasurer for the tri-beta biological honor society. She was a GE Chairman’s Scholar, and at graduation she received the Goodfellow Memorial Prize and the George Washington Medal and Award. She is currently taking a gap year and working as a medical assistant while she applies to medical school. 

Description: Dupixent (dupilumab) is a biological drug approved to treat many conditions, one of which is asthma. Studies have shown the importance of blocking both IL-4 and IL-13 cytokines to prevent asthmatic symptoms, both of which dupilumab blocks. Clinical trials show that dupilumab is safe to use in children and also has strong long-term efficacy in adults. A clinical trial also found that a patient’s response to dupilumab can be predicted by biomarkers, suggesting that biomarkers can be used to assess if a child will respond to dupilumab and subsequently allow children to start preventive treatment earlier. Dupilumab is under a global collaboration agreement between Regeneron and Sanofi, and although an effective treatment for asthma, the high cost makes it unaffordable for many patients. The prices of drugs are higher in the U.S. compared to other countries due to the system of drug pricing, but the introduction of biosimilars can help decrease costs. Additionally, studies for the use of Dupixent to treat asthma have shown that the drug is cost-effective in many developed countries but not in developing countries. Implementing new pricing strategies may decrease costs and make Dupixent more affordable.

Read Vani’s SCE below: