What should you know about Nucala for asthma?

Nucala contains mepolizumab, a medicine designed to reduce activity of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell involved in some asthma inflammation. It is considered when symptoms or attacks continue despite an appropriate inhaled treatment plan. It is not a quick-relief inhaler and does not replace your prescribed preventer or rescue inhaler unless your clinician changes your plan.

Asthma can cause wheezing, cough, chest tightness and breathlessness. Nucala is selected after an asthma assessment, which may include your symptom pattern, previous flare-ups, inhaler use and blood tests. It helps only when the underlying inflammatory pattern is suitable.

Take Nucala exactly as scheduled and keep using your other asthma medicines as directed. Attend reviews so your clinician can check control, inhaler technique and any reactions. Tell the team about allergies, pregnancy, parasitic infection risks and medicines you take. Do not stop a steroid suddenly without medical advice.

Keep an up-to-date asthma action plan. Know which symptoms mean you should use your reliever and which require urgent help. A nebuliser treatment may be used in acute care when breathing becomes difficult, but it is not a substitute for planned biologic treatment.

Call emergency services if severe breathlessness prevents you speaking normally, your lips look blue or grey, you become unusually drowsy, or your reliever is not helping. Seek prompt medical advice for worsening wheeze, repeated night symptoms, fever with breathing difficulty, or a reaction after an injection such as facial swelling, widespread hives or trouble breathing.

Ask whether your asthma pattern is suitable for Nucala, how it will be given, how progress will be assessed, and what to do if you miss a dose or develop symptoms between appointments.