Odactra
Odactra contains house dust mite allergen extract. It's used as immunotherapy for treating allergy symptoms, like runny nose and itchy eyes, caused by dust mites. Odactra is approved for people age 12 to 65 years old. You take the tablet once a day by placing it under the tongue until it dissolves. Common side effects include throat irritation and itchy ears. Since Odactra can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction, you need to take your first dose at a medical office. Odactra is a brand-name medication and doesn't have a generic yet.
What is Odactra?
What is Odactra used for?
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) caused by house dust mites
How Odactra works
Odactra is an allergen extract that's made from house dust mites. The way the medication works isn't fully known. But it's thought to treat allergy symptoms caused by house dust mites by changing the way your immune system reacts to them.
Drug Facts
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What are the side effects of Odactra?
Common Side Effects
- Irritation or tickle in the throat (67%)
- Itchy mouth (61%)
- Itchy ear (52%)
- Swelling in the back of the mouth (20%)
- Swelling of the lips (18%)
- Swelling of the tongue (16%)
- Nausea (14%)
- Throat swelling (14%)
- Tongue pain (14%)
- Sore on the tongue (12%)
- Stomach pain (11%)
- Mouth sore (10%)
- Changes in taste (10%)
- Irritation or tickle in the throat (73%)
- Itchy mouth (73%)
- Itchy ear (50%)
- Tongue pain (25%)
- Stomach pain (23%)
- Swelling in the back of the mouth (20%)
- Swelling of the lips (20%)
- Swelling of the tongue (19%)
- Swelling of the throat (18%)
- Nausea (17%)
- Sore on the tongue (13%)
- Mouth sore (11%)
Other Side Effects
- Itchy tongue
- Pain in the mouth
- Tingling in the mouth
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
Serious Side Effects
- Serious allergic reaction: trouble breathing, throat swelling or tightness, chest tightness, swelling of your lips or tongue, dizziness, fainting, fast heartbeat, rash, flushing or itching of the skin, stomach pain or cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
Source: DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Heartburn, pain or trouble swallowing, chest pain that does not go away or gets worse
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Burning or tingling of the tongue, mouth, throat, or face
- Irritation inside the mouth or throat
- Itching of the mouth, lips, tongue, or ears
- Mild swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue, or throat
Pros and cons of Odactra
Pros
Dissolves under the tongue, so it's easy to take
Only need to take once a day
Helps improve overall allergy symptoms from house dust mites in the long run
Treats the cause of your allergies and not just the symptoms
Cons
Not for quick relief of allergy symptoms
Can cause severe, life-threatening allergic reactions
Not recommended if you can't use or aren't willing to use an epinephrine autoinjector like Epipen in case of a severe allergic reaction
Can't swallow for 1 minute and can't eat or drink for 5 minutes after taking
Pharmacist tips for Odactra
You have to take your first Odactra dose at a medical office and stay for at least 30 minutes. A healthcare professional will watch for signs of a serious allergic reaction, like trouble breathing, swelling in your face or throat, rash, or fast heartbeat. If you don't have a reaction, you can keep taking Odactra at home. Be sure to have an epinephrine autoinjector like an EpiPen ready in case of an allergic reaction.
Keep Odactra tablets sealed in the original packaging. Only take the tablet out from the blister card right before you take the medication. This helps protect the tablets from moisture in the air, which can damage them.
Carefully remove the foil covering the Odactra tablet with dry hands. If your hands are wet, the tablet can start to dissolve in your hands and you might not get the full dose of medication.
After you take out 1 Odactra tablet from the blister card, place it under your tongue right away. Keep the tablet there until it's completely dissolved (takes about 10 seconds). Don't swallow the tablet whole, and don't take the tablet with food or drink. Wash your hands afterwards to make sure there isn't any powder or residue from the tablet on your hands.
Once the Odactra tablet fully dissolves, don't swallow for at least 1 minute. And avoid eating or drinking for 5 minutes after the tablet dissolves. This helps make sure all of the medication gets absorbed from under your tongue.
Make sure you know you to recognize signs of an allergic reaction and how to use an epinephrine autoinjector like an EpiPen. If you have an allergic reaction to Odactra, inject the epinephrine into the middle of your outer thigh and call 911 right away. Look out for symptoms like trouble breathing, swelling of tongue or lips, or a rash.
If you have a mouth sore or thrush, call your prescriber right away. Also contact them right away if you recently had any oral surgery. You'll need to stop taking Odactra until your mouth completely heals. Odactra can cause mouth irritation, which can affect the healing process.
If you forget to take your Odactra dose, skip the missed dose. Then, take the medication the next day at your usual time. Don't take 2 tablets to make up the missed dose. If you miss more than 1 tablet of Odactra, let your prescriber know so they can tell you what to do next.
Let your healthcare professional know that you're taking Odactra before you start any new medications or other allergen immunotherapies. There are some medications, like beta blockers, that can prevent epinephrine or rescue inhalers from working well to treat allergic reactions. Using more than one allergen immunotherapy at the same time might raise your risk for severe allergic reactions.
Frequently asked questions about Odactra
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What are the risks and warnings for Odactra?
Odactra can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Severe allergic reactions
Risk factors: History of severe allergic reaction
Odactra can cause serious allergic reactions, including a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. This medication might not be safe if you have health problems that make it harder to survive an allergic reaction, like lung problems, a recent heart attack, or uncontrolled asthma. It also might not be right for you if you take medications that could affect how emergency treatments work, like beta blockers. Talk to your prescriber to see if Odactra is safe for you.
You must take your first dose of Odactra at your prescriber's office and stay there for at least 30 minutes. The healthcare team will watch for signs of a serious allergic reaction.
If you don't have a severe reaction to the first dose of Odactra, you can take the rest of your doses at home. You'll be prescribed an epinephrine autoinjector like an EpiPen. Your care team will teach you how to use it in case of an allergic reaction at home. If you have trouble breathing, chest tightness, swelling of your lips or tongue, or a rash, inject epinephrine into your thigh muscle and call 911 right away.
Difficulty breathing
Risk factors: Asthma
Odactra can cause side effects in the mouth and throat that can make it harder for you to breathe. They can include swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat and mouth pain. Stop taking Odactra and let your prescriber know if you're having any side effects that make you have trouble breathing. Also stop taking the medication and tell your prescriber if you're having an asthma attack because it might be even harder to breathe.
Trouble swallowing (eosinophilic esophagitis)
Some people taking allergen immunotherapy tablets dissolved under the tongue developed eosinophilic esophagitis. This happens when the immune system attacks the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach). It can lead to problems like trouble eating or drinking, stomach pain, and chest pain. If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking Odactra and tell your prescriber so they can check it out.
Odactra dosage forms
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 sublingual tablets of 12 SQ-HDM | 1 dose pack | $313.22 | $313.22 |
Typical dosing for Odactra
Each dissolvable tablet of Odactra contains 12 SQ-HDM. SQ is a measure of how strong the medication is and HDM stands for house dust mite.
The typical dose for Odactra is 1 tablet dissolved under your tongue once a day.
Note: You have to take the first dose at a medical office. A healthcare professional needs to check that the medication is safe for you before you can continue treatment at home.
How much does Odactra cost?
Odactra contraindications
Severe, unstable, or uncontrolled asthma
History of a severe allergic reaction
History of severe reaction around the mouth after taking other allergen immunotherapy dissolved under the tongue
History of eosinophilic esophagitis (a condition where your body's immune system attacks the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach)
What are alternatives to Odactra?
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) caused by house dust mites
Short-term relief of allergy symptoms (runny nose, itchy nose, itchy or watery eyes)
Short-term relief of allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, itchy nose or throat)
Odactra images
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References
Best studies we foundALK-Abello A S. (2025). Odactra- dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and dermatophagoides farinae tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. (n.d.). Allergy immunotherapy.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. (2017). Immunotherapy with allergy tablets.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. (2015). Dust mite allergy.
Durham, S. R., et al. (2023). Allergen immunotherapy: Past, present and future. Nature Reviews Immunology.
Nolte, H., et al. (2016). Efficacy of house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy tablet in North American adolescents and adults in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). FDA approves Odactra for house dust mite allergies.
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