What is severe asthma?

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.³

Let's start with one potential cause: eosinophils^2,3

To understand possible causes of severe asthma attacks, it's important to understand the role eosinophils (ee-uh-sin-uh-fils) can play.

Eosinophils are normal white blood cells in your body. Some people with severe asthma have too many eosinophils in the blood, lungs and tissues. 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.

Your doctor can give you a simple blood test that measures eosinophil levels to help determine if you have severe eosinophilic asthma, or may refer you to a specialist for further review.

Once you have a severe eosinophilic asthma diagnosis, you and your doctor will decide together if adding a different kind of asthma treatment, like NUCALA, could help. Curious? Take a deeper look at how NUCALA works.

Could you have severe asthma?

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.³

Poor symptom control

Are you coughing, wheezing, having difficulty breathing, frequently using a rescue inhaler, or waking up at night?

Worsening asthma

Having flare-ups? These are also called exacerbations or severe asthma attacks—when symptoms don't improve and you need to add oral steroids.

ED visits or hospitalisations

Is the severity of your asthma attacks sending you to the ED or requiring hospitalisation?

Repeated asthma attacks and inflammation caused by long-term, uncontrolled asthma can lead to more asthma attacks or exacerbations.³

If this sounds familiar, it's time to talk to your doctor about your current asthma treatments.

Let's prep for next steps with your doctor.

To get the right diagnosis, it's important to be open and honest with your doctor. Use these points to help get the conversation started:

Tell your doctor when your symptoms get worse. Your symptoms may require you to see a specialist.

Tell your doctor everything you're doing to manage your severe asthma, and talk about how your asthma is affecting your life.

Ask for a blood test to see if you have severe eosinophilic asthma and if NUCALA may be right for you.

Break the asthma cycle

Repeated asthma attacks and inflammation caused by long-term, uncontrolled asthma can lead to more asthma attacks or exacerbations.³

So, why NUCALA?

If you're ready for a different kind of treatment for your severe asthma, see what NUCALA can do for you.

Explore the benefits of NUCALA

Ready to talk to your doctor?

Download the doctor discussion guide to keep the conversation on track.

Important Safety Information:

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.

References:

Data Sheet GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand. Nucala Data Sheet. GSK NZ; 2022. Available at http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/dsform.asp
Consumer Medicine Information GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand. Nucala Consumer Medicine Information. GSK NZ; 2023. Available at https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Medicines/infoSearch.asp
Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention 2022. Available from: www.ginasthma.org
Bernstein D, Pavord ID, Chapman KR et al. Usability of mepolizumab single-use prefilled autoinjector for patient self-administration. J Asthma 2019;28:1-12

Nucala (mepolizumab 100 mg) is a Prescription Medicine, available as a 100 mg powder for injection (100 mg/ mL after reconstitution) and as a 100 mg/mL pre-filled pen (auto-injector). Nucala is used as an add-on treatment for; severe eosinophilic asthma in patients 12 years and over, severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) with an inadequate response to intranasal corticosteroids in adult patients 18 years and older, relapsing or refractory Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) in adult patients aged 18 years and over, and in adult patients with inadequately controlled hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) without an identifiable non-haematologic secondary cause. Nucala is given by injection under your skin (subcutaneous). Nucala is fully funded for severe eosinophilic asthma only; Special Authority criteria apply. Use strictly as directed. Nucala has risks and benefits. Do not stop taking your other asthma medications including inhaled and /or oral steroid asthma medications. Tell your doctor if: you have a parasitic (helminth) infection; you are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements; you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Nucala does not treat acute asthma symptoms, such as sudden asthma attack. Tell your healthcare professional or get emergency help immediately if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: swelling of your face, mouth, and tongue, breathing problems, fainting, dizziness, feeling light-headed (low blood pressure), rash or hives. Side effects: headache, injection site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, itching, or a burning feeling at the injection site), back pain, and fatigue. Serious side effects may include allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your injection of Nucala. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get a dose of Nucala. Herpes zoster infections that can cause shingles have happened in people who received Nucala. If symptoms continue or you have side effects, see your doctor, pharmacist or health care professional. For more information, see Nucala Consumer Medicine Information at www.medsafe.govt.nz. Ask your doctor if Nucala is right for you. Normal doctor's charges apply.

This website is intended for residents of New Zealand only.