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At six feet tall, it’s no surprise that Diana Taurasi was drawn to basketball. “It's my passion, it's my love,” she says of the sport. Taurasi, who retired in February 2025 after 20 seasons playing for the Phoenix Mercury, is largely viewed as one of the best WNBA players of all time.
While Taurasi was known for exuding strength and focus on the court, behind the scenes she often found herself thinking about her skin: For years, she’s navigated living with moderate-to-severe eczema. Eczema, a chronic condition caused in part by an overactive immune system, results in more inflammation under the skin than normal. This inflammation can lead to itching and rashes on the skin’s surface. In partnership with Sanofi and Regeneron, Diana is speaking out about the realities this disease can bring – on and off the court.
For Taurasi, it started when she moved from California to Connecticut for college. “The minute I moved to the East Coast, my skin became red, itchy and uncomfortable," she says. Eventually, Taurasi sought care from a dermatologist, and she was diagnosed with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema. “I had it on my arms, the back of my knees…basically anywhere that was visible in a jersey,” Taurasi recalls. “When I was on the court in front of a camera, I knew everyone was looking.”
Taurasi began wearing sleeves during her games to cover up her rashes, a league violation at the time which resulted in a fine. “I was fined every game, but I kept wearing them,” she recalls. “I just didn’t want my skin to be so exposed.” One memory from a 2009 WNBA finals game stands out in particular: “I woke up that morning with a complete eczema outbreak on both arms. All I could think was, "This is game one of the finals, on national TV, and I'm worried about the rashes on my skin.”
After trying multiple different prescription topical treatments, Taurasi was at her “wits' end.” That’s when her dermatologist prescribed Dupixent® (dupilumab), a biologic treatment option for people ages six months and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema.
Dupixent helps calm a key source of inflammation under the skin that can cause eczema. It is the only biologic medicine approved to treat uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema from infancy to adulthood.
“Since starting Dupixent, I have clearer skin and less itch,” Taurasi says. “I spent so much time and energy dealing with my eczema, and looking for something that could work for me and provide relief to my skin. I am less focused on my eczema symptoms while doing activities with my wife and kids. While everyone’s experience is different, I am thankful to have found a medicine that works for me.”
Dupixent can help adult patients with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema achieve clearer skin and less itch. In two clinical trials at 16 weeks, adults on Dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin (37% versus 9% not on Dupixent) and had significant itch reduction (38% versus 11% not on Dupixent). Individual results may vary.
The most common side effects in patients with eczema include injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, dry eye, and blurred vision, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia). Please see additional Important Safety Information below.
Since she began speaking out about her eczema, Taurasi has met a whole community of people who can relate. But she’s also noticed that some fans are surprised by her diagnosis. “I think athletes are put on this pedestal, like we’re bulletproof,” she says. “But I have the same challenges as everyone else. I just happen to be a little better at bouncing a basketball than most people.”
If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of moderate-to-severe eczema and topical prescription treatments aren’t controlling your eczema well, talk to your doctor about exploring other options that may be right for you.
Visit Dupixent.com to read more stories like Taurasi's and learn about Dupixent (dupilumab) 200/300 mg Injection.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION & INDICATION
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have eye problems.
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
- are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
- A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines or if you have atopic dermatitis and asthma and use an asthma medicine. Do not change or stop your other medicines, including corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine, without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by those medicines to come back.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, skin rash, including rash that looks like a bullseye or painful red or blue bumps under the skin, general ill feeling, itching, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, joint pain, or cramps in your stomach area.
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an eye exam if needed.
- Psoriasis. This can happen in people with atopic dermatitis who receive DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider about any new skin symptoms. Your healthcare provider may send you to a dermatologist for an examination if needed.
- Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.
The most common side effects in patients with eczema include injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, dry eye, and blurred vision, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia).
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. 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.
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it’s recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 months to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
INDICATION
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age.
Dupixent is a registered trademark of Sanofi or an affiliate
US.DUP.25.10.0217
03/26
