Article
Daily Medication Pearl: Mepolizumab (Nucala)
Author(s):
Nucala is an IL-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G1 kappa) for the add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients with severe asthma and with an eosinophilic phenotype.
Medication Pearl of the Day: Mepolizumab (Nucala)
Indication: Nucala is an interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G1 kappa) indicated for the add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with severe asthma and with an eosinophilic phenotype.
Insight:
- Dosing: 100 mg administered subcutaneously once every 4 weeks for severe asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.
- Dosage forms: For injection 100 mg of lyophilized powder in a single-dose vial for reconstitution.
- Adverse events: Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) include headache, injection site reaction, back pain, and fatigue.
- Mechanism of action: Mepolizumab, by inhibiting IL-5 signaling, reduces the production and survival of eosinophils; however, the mechanism of mepolizumab action in asthma, CRSwNP, EGPA, and HES has not been definitively established.
- Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline
Sources:
NUCALA (mepolizumab) for injection NUCALA (mepolizumab) injection (gskpro.com)
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