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NUCALA is an additional, prescription maintenance treatment for patients 12 and older with severe eosinophilic asthma. NUCALA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems.
Helps prevent severe asthma flare ups, Helps reduce the need for oral steroids, Helps improve quality of life, Easy-to-use, at-home administration options
If you're taking all your asthma medications and are still struggling, elevated eosinophils may be a cause.
Curious about taking your medication at home? Learn about a 4-weekly, at-home option.
Doctors consider your asthma to be severe if you take daily high-dose asthma medicines and have a history of severe asthma attacks (which are also called exacerbations). These attacks may have required steroids like prednisone, and you may have gone to the ED or been hospitalised to treat them.
To understand possible causes of severe asthma attacks, it's important to understand the role eosinophils (ee-uh-sin-uh-fils) can play.
If you're taking all your asthma medications but still struggling, it could be severe asthma. These are some of the key signs doctors look for when diagnosing severe asthma.
To get the right diagnosis, it's important to be open and honest with your doctor.
NUCALA is used to treat asthma by reducing the frequency of asthma flare ups in patients aged 12 and over who are already receiving asthma medicines, but whose asthma flare ups are not well controlled by medicines such as high-dose corticosteroid inhalers or beta-agonist inhalers.
NUCALA is a different kind of treatment for your severe asthma. It's an injection you get every 4 weeks in addition to your current asthma medicines.
NUCALA may decrease airway inflammation that can cause severe asthma attacks. It works by targeting eosinophils, one source of inflammation, so it treats more than just your symptoms of severe asthma.
Your doctor can give you a blood test that measures your eosinophil count or refer you to a specialist who will review your asthma with you and request the relevant blood tests.
If you're wondering whether NUCALA can help prevent your severe asthma attacks, start by talking to your doctor.
NUCALA Pre-filled pen is a 4-weekly injection for severe eosinophilic asthma patients ages 12 and older. Together, you and your doctor can decide if at-home administration with NUCALA is right for you.
NUCALA targets eosinophils, but what exactly does that mean?
NUCALA targets eosinophils, but what exactly does that mean?
Eosinophils [ee-uh-sin-uh-fils] are white blood cells that are a normal part of the body's immune system.
Having too many eosinophils in your blood can damage the airways and can cause your asthma to get worse or can increase the number of your asthma flare ups.
NUCALA is not a steroid like prednisone. It is designed to reduce the number of eosinophils in your blood.
Your doctor can give you a blood test that measures your eosinophil count or refer you to a specialist who will review your asthma with you and request the relevant blood tests.
See how NUCALA targets eosinophils to help reduce airway inflammation
Feel like you're doing everything you can for your severe asthma, and it still isn't enough? It's important to be open and honest with your doctor about your symptoms to make sure you're on a treatment plan that's right for you. Because, if you have severe asthma — especially the eosinophilic type — your GP may need to refer you to an asthma specialist, like a respiratory specialist or immunologist.
Find some answers to common questions about NUCALA
Find some answers to general questions about NUCALA
Find some answers to at home administration questions about NUCALA
Find some answers to pre-filled pen questions about NUCALA
Your healthcare provider will give you information you need to inject properly and about monitoring for any allergic reactions. Sometimes, serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur hours or days later. Here you can find videos, instructions, and other useful information on how to use the NUCALA pre-filled pen for patients aged 12+.
Instruction for injecting video
Store in the refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C. Keep in the original carton until time of use to protect from light. Do not freeze. Do not shake. Keep away from heat. If necessary, an unopened carton can be stored outside the refrigerator at up to 30° for up to 7 days. Safely throw away the pre-filled pen if it is left out of the refrigerator in the unopened carton for more than 7 days. The pre-filled pen must be used within 8 hours after you take it out of the carton. Safely throw it away if is not used within 8 hours. Safely throw away medicine that is out of date or no longer needed.
Do not use the pre-filled pen more than 1 time. Throw away the pre-filled pen in an sharps disposal container after your injection. Do not share the pre-filled pen with other people. You may give other people a serious infection, or you may get a serious infection from them. Do not use the pre-filled pen if it was dropped or looks damaged.
Pre-filled Pen FAQs
Your first treatment
You took an important step by talking with your doctor about NUCALA. Through a review of your blood test results, symptoms, and medication, your doctor determined that eosinophils are a part of your severe asthma. You should know that filling your prescription will be a little different from what you may be used to.
At your doctor's office, Your healthcare professional will prepare your injection. You will receive an injection just underneath your skin (subcutaneously). After your injection you may be asked to stay in the office so your doctor can monitor you for serious allergic reactions.
At home, Your doctor will provide you or your caregiver with information on injecting, including how to properly inject and education about monitoring for any allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Sometimes serious allergic reactions can occur hours or days later.
NUCALA is designed to work with your current asthma medications to reduce your severe asthma attacks. Don't make any changes to your medications without first consulting your doctor
Risks and side effects
NUCALA is used to treat asthma by reducing the frequency of asthma flare ups in patients aged 12 and over who are already receiving asthma medicines, but whose asthma flare ups are not well controlled by medicines such as high-dose corticosteroid inhalers or beta-agonist inhalers.
Do not use NUCALA to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if NUCALA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age. Do not use NUCALA if you are allergic to mepolizumab or any of the ingredients in NUCALA.
Allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your NUCALA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get a dose of NUCALA.
Allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Herpes zoster infections.
headache, injection site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, itching, or a burning feeling at the injection site), back pain, and tiredness (fatigue).
Active ingredient: mepolizumab.
Inactive ingredients: citric acid monohydrate, EDTA disodium dihydrate, polysorbate 80, sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate, and sucrose.
Resources
Doctor Discussion Guide
Nucala Patient Diary
Instructions for Use Brochure
Frequently Asked Questions Brochure
Instructions for Use Video
How Nucala Works Video
Do not use NUCALA if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to mepolizumab or any of the ingredients in NUCALA.
Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems.
The most common side effects of NUCALA are headache, injection site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, itching, or a burning feeling at the injection site), back pain, and fatigue.
Tell your doctor or get emergency help right away if you think you are having an allergic reaction to NUCALA.
Any information provided on this website should be discussed with a healthcare professional and does not replace a healthcare professional's advice.
This website is intended for residents of New Zealand only.