Hypereosinophilic Syndromes: Treatment

Treatment of HES depends upon many factors:

• Whether there was an identified known cause,

• Which organs are involved, and

• The degree to which the organ(s) are involved.  

Medications for the treatment of HES may include:

• Prednisone (by mouth)

• Methylprednisolone [via intravenous (IV)]

• Other drugs to prevent the white blood cells from multiplying (hydroxyurea, interferon-alpha) and to decrease the long-term use of prednisone or methylprednisolone

• Some medications such as imatinib (Gleevec^®) are expected to work in only certain forms of HES. Some medications such as mepolizumab (which would prevent the growth of white blood cells) is likely to help many patients with HES when it gets FDA approval and becomes available in the market.