NUCALA

An Add-On Treatment for Severe Asthma

If you suffer from severe eosinophilic asthma, NUCALA is a prescription treatment option available to you. As an add-on treatment, it may help you manage asthma attacks so that you can get through the day with greater peace of mind. Here, we’ll cover the top questions that patients have about NUCALA and its benefits for severe asthma symptoms. 

What Defines Severe Asthma?

When someone has severe asthma, they may continue to struggle with symptoms even after taking all of their prescribed medications. Symptoms of severe asthma can include coughing, wheezing, difficulting breathing, frequent need for a rescue inhaler, and disrupted sleep.

 

Severe asthma attacks occur when asthma symptoms worsen. In these cases, you may need oral steroids to manage flare-ups. Severe asthma attacks may even lead to ER visits or hospitalization. 

What Is NUCALA?

It is a prescription treatment for patients with severe asthma that may be effective when other medications aren’t helping to ease symptoms. 

 

Unlike other asthma medications, it isn’t an inhaler or a steroid. It’s an injection that you take every four weeks, either at home or at your doctor’s office. NUCALA is designed to be taken in conjunction with the asthma medications already prescribed to you. 

How Does NUCALA Work?

This works to prevent severe asthma symptoms by addressing eosinophils. Eosinophils are a variety of white blood cells that fight disease. However, these cells may also lead to inflammation that can trigger asthma attacks. Since eosinophils are the key cause of severe eosinophilic asthma, NUCALA can be highly effective in targeting the source of your asthma, not just the symptoms, by reducing the number of eosinophils in your blood. 

 

Before prescribing NUCALA, your doctor may run a blood test to determine your eosinophil count. This measurement has been shown to be an indicator of the effectiveness of NUCALA treatment for patients with severe asthma. If you’re diagnosed with severe eosinophilic asthma, NUCALA may be recommended as a supplement to your existing asthma treatment plan. 

What Are The Benefits of NUCALA?

The main benefits include:

 

  • It’s an add-on treatment, meaning that you’ll continue to take the asthma medications prescribed to you, so it can be a component of a comprehensive asthma treatment plan that targets multiple causes of the condition.
  • It’s administered on a monthly basis, meaning that it requires little to no daily maintenance. 
  • It works to lower the number of eosinophils in your blood, meaning that it can reduce the root cause of your severe eosinophilic asthma.
  • It works to cut down on inflammation, meaning that you may experience less severe asthma attacks over time. Improvement may not be immediate but may increase over time for long-term severe asthma management. 

 

Severe asthma can significantly impact your quality of life. If you’re still experiencing severe asthma symptoms after taking the medications prescribed to you, ask your doctor if NUCALA injections could be right for you.