What is NUCALA?

NUCALA is a medication indicated as an add-on treatment for relapsing or refractory Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) in adult patients aged 18 years and over.¹

Your doctor may assess the following before prescribing NUCALA:^1,5-9,11

Other medications you are taking

The results from your blood test (the level of eosinophils found in your blood)

Your symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, weight loss, nasal sinus symptoms, and difficulty breathing^5,6,7,8,9

How does NUCALA work?

NUCALA contains the medicine mepolizumab (me-poh-liz-ooh-mab), which works by blocking a protein called interleukin-5 (IL-5).^1,11

By blocking the action of IL-5, NUCALA:¹¹

Limits the production of more eosinophils in the bone marrow
Lowers the number of eosinophils in the bloodstream and the lungs

diagram of the mechanism of action of Nucala

What are the benefits of NUCALA?^{^1,10,11,14,15}

Based on a 52-weeks clinical study, patients treated with NUCALA in combination with other medicines experienced^:

Longer

time in remission

Remission was defined as no active vasculitis, and a prednisone or prednisolone dose less than or equal to 4 mg per day.¹⁰

Patients receiving NUCALA had longer time in remission
More patients receiving NUCALA experienced remission within the first 24 weeks of treatment and stayed in remission for the remainder of the study

Fewer

relapses

Relapse was defined as worsening symptoms that required increased steroid dose, and/or increase in dose or start of immunosuppressants, and/or hospitalisation.¹⁰

Patients treated with NUCALA had about half the number of relapses per year

Lower

dose of oral corticosteroids
(like prednisone)¹⁰

Almost half of patients receiving NUCALA had their oral steroid dose reduced to 4 mg per day or less
About 1 in 5 patients treated with NUCALA had their oral steroids stopped altogether

^Based on a 52-weeks clinical study, when compared with placebo. Number of participants in the Nucala group=68; number of participants in the placebo group=68. Your experience may be different.

How is NUCALA taken?

NUCALA is given as 3 injections, under the skin (subcutaneous), once every 4 weeks for EGPA patient.^1,11

Interrupting or stopping the treatment with NUCALA may cause your symptoms to become worse or occur more frequently. If your symptoms get worse when being treated with NUCALA, immediately tell your doctor.^1,11

Tell your doctor if you are taking corticosteroids or other medicines for the treatment of EGPA. Do not suddenly stop taking your corticosteroids or other medicines once you have started NUCALA. Corticosteroids must be stopped gradually, under the direction and supervision of your doctor.^1,11

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take or have recently taken, including drugs, or medicines obtained without a prescription (vitamins, minerals, natural supplements, or alternative medicines).¹¹

Do not stop treatment with NUCALA unless advised by your doctor. Consult your healthcare professional if you have questions about your medication or medical condition.^1,11

How will I receive NUCALA?

You might have already had your first NUCALA injections, but if you haven’t, you probably want to know what to expect.

The injection is given at home or at a clinic
The injection goes just underneath the skin (subcutaneously)^1,11

Planning for your next dose

You might wonder how to remember your injection appointments.

Here are a few tips to help you remember planning for your NUCALA injections:

Use your smartphone to set up automated reminders or write a reminder on your calendar
Choose the same day of the week and work it into your existing routine
Use your injection tracker at the back of this guide to help you stay on top of your appointments

Use your NUCALA injection tracker to help you stay on top of your appointments

CLICK HERE to download the patient information brochure

What is the recommended dose of NUCALA for EGPA?

Adults (≥18 years of age): 300 mg, given as 3 injections under the skin (subcutaneous) every 4 weeks.¹

NUCALA in a pre-filled pen can be given by a healthcare professional, a patient, or a caregiver. A healthcare professional will decide if you or your caregiver can inject NUCALA.¹

If appropriate, training will be provided to show the correct way to administer the injections before you use NUCALA at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Every 4 weeks. At home. On your time.

NUCALA pre-filled pen is a 4 weekly injection as an add-on treatment for relapsing or refractory Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) in adult patients aged 18 years and over.¹

Together, you and your doctor can decide if at-home administration with NUCALA is right for you.

Designed with you in mind

Don’t like needles? With the NUCALA pre-filled pen, you don’t have to see the needle.^11,16

In a study^#, after training^16#:

^~9

OUT
OF

patients/caregivers found the pre-filled pen very or extremely easy to use with pictogram at home.
number of patients/caregivers=94/102

99%

of patients/caregivers successfully used third dose of pre-filled pen with pictogram when observed in clinic.
number of patients/caregivers=102/103

For more information about injecting NUCALA at home, please see the full Instructions for Use.

^#Study was conducted in 159 Severe Eosinophilic Asthma Patients. Injections were administered by the patient or caregiver.

At-home convenience^1,11,16#

After you learn how to properly self-inject from your doctor, you can do it on your own in the comfort of your own home with the NUCALA pre-filled pen.

After training 96%* of patients/caregivers in a study rated being very or extremely confident about their ability to use the pre-filled pen correctly on their own at home at study completion.

Self-inject with confidence^1,11

Once you and your specialist decide that the NUCALA pre-filled pen is right for you, you will be given information on how to properly inject and how to monitor for allergic reactions. Sometimes, serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur hours or days later. Your NUCALA pre-filled pen will arrive with full Instructions for Use.

^#Study was conducted in 159 Severe Eosinophilic Asthma Patients. Injections were administered by the patient or caregiver.
*Number of patients/caregivers in the pre-filled pen with pictogram group=98/102

The NUCALA pre-filled pen

Step by step instructions for using the pre-filled pen.

Watch the video

Ready to talk to your doctor?

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

Nucala Important Safety Information:¹

Contraindications: hypersensitivity to mepolizumab or to any of the excipients.

Warnings & Precautions: EGPA: NUCALA treated patients may experience a return of EGPA symptoms upon cessation of NUCALA and other EGPA treatments may need to be increased accordingly if NUCALA is discontinued as patients may decrease their other EGPA treatments during NUCALA treatment.

Adverse Reactions: headache, joint pain, nausea, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, vomiting, injection site reaction. Please refer to the Nucala Consumer Medicine Information for more details.

References:

GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand. Nucala Data Sheet. GSK NZ; 2023. Available at https://medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/n/nucalainj.pdf. Last accessed 18/11/2024
Fagni, F.; et al. (2021). Front Med. 24(8):627776.
Fijolek, J. & Radzikowska, E. (2023). Front Med 10:1145257.
Gioffredi, A.; et al. (2014). Front Immunol 5:549.
Doubelt, I.; et al. (2021). ACR OpenRheumatol. 3(6): 404-412.
Mohammad, N. & Ghazali, W.S.W. (2017). BMJ Case Rep.
Cottin, V.; et al. (2016). Europ Respir Jour 48:1429-1441.
Low, M.C.; et al. (2019). Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 10(2): 217-222.
Pagnoux, C., et al. (2007). Curr Opin Rheumatol 19(1): 25-32.
Wechsler M.E.; et al. (2017) N Engl J Med. 376:1921-1932.
GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand. Nucala Consumer Medicine Information. GSK NZ; 2023. Available at https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/CMI. Last accessed 18/11/2024
Khoury P; et al. (2014) Nat Rev Rheumatol.10;474-483.
Vaglio A; et al. (2013) Allergy. 68;261-73.
Steinfeld J; et al. (2019) The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 143(6);2170-2177.
Wechsler ME; et al. (2017) N Engl J Med. 376;1921-1932 (supplementary).
Bernstein D; et al. (2019) Journal of Asthma. 28;1-12.
Klion AD; et al. (2020) Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease. 15;179-209

Nucala (mepolizumab 100 mg) is a Prescription Medicine, available as a 100 mg/mL pre-filled pen (auto-injector). Each pre-filled pen delivers 100 mg mepolizumab in 1 mL. 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 and EGPA 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. Adverse events involving GlaxoSmithKline products should be reported to GSK Medical Information on 0800 808 500.

This website is intended for residents of New Zealand only.

Any information provided on this website should be discussed with a healthcare professional and does not replace a healthcare professional’s advice.