Wixela Inhub vs. Nucala

Wixela Inhub (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) and Nucala (mepolizumab) for injection are used to treat asthma.

Wixela Inhub is used for twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged 4 years and older and also for maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Nucala is used for add-on maintenance treatment of patients with severe asthma aged 12 years and older, and with an eosinophilic phenotype.

Wixela Inhub and Nucala belong to different drug classes. Wixela Inhub contains a combination of a corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist (LABA) and Nucala is an interleukin-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody (IgG1 kappa).

Side effects of Wixela Inhub and Nucala that are similar include headaches.

Side effects of Wixela Inhub that are different from Nucala include upper respiratory tract infection or inflammation, sore throat, hoarseness, oral thrush, bronchitis, cough, nausea, vomiting, pneumonia, and musculoskeletal pain.

Side effects of Nucala that are different from Wixela Inhub include injection site reactions, back pain, fatigue, flu symptoms, urinary tract infection (UTI), abdominal pain, itching, eczema, and muscle spasms.

Wixela Inhub may interact with other medicines containing a LABA, antivirals, azole antifungals, clarithromycin, telithromycin, nefazodone, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants, beta-blockers, and diuretics.

Nucala may also interact with other drugs.

Common side effects of Wixela Inhub include:

• upper respiratory tract infection or inflammation,
• sore throat,
• hoarseness,
• oral thrush,
• bronchitis,
• cough,
• headaches,
• nausea and vomiting,
• pneumonia,
• viral respiratory infections, and
• musculoskeletal pain

Common side effects of Nucala include:

• headache,
• injection site reaction,
• back pain,
• fatigue,
• flu symptoms,
• urinary tract infection (UTI),
• abdominal pain,
• itching,
• eczema, and
• muscle spasms

Wixela Inhub (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) contains a combination of a corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist (LABA) indicated for twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged 4 years and older or maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Wixela Inhub is available in generic form.

Nucala (mepolizumab) is an interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist monoclonal antibody (IgG1 kappa) indicated for add-on maintenance treatment of patients with severe asthma aged 6 years and older, and with an eosinophilic phenotype; the treatment of adult patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA); and the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) for 6 or more months without an identifiable non-hematologic secondary cause.

Wixela Inhub may interact with additional medicines containing a LABA, ritonavir, ketoconazole, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants, beta-blockers, and diuretics. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Wixela Inhub; it is unknown how it would affect a fetus. It is unknown if Wixela Inhub passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Nucala may interact with other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

The dose of Wixela Inhub for treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and older is 1 inhalation of Wixela Inhub 100/50, Wixela Inhub 250/50, or Wixela Inhub 500/50 twice daily. The dose of Wixela Inhub for treatment of asthma in patients aged 4 to 11 years is 1 inhalation of Wixela Inhub 100/50 twice daily. The dose of Wixela Inhub for maintenance treatment of COPD is 1 inhalation of Wixela Inhub 250/50 twice daily.

The dose of Nucala is 100 mg administered subcutaneously once every 4 weeks. Nucala may interact with other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.