GlaxoSmithKline’s Nucala wins provisional recommendation from NICE

GlaxoSmithKline's new asthma drug Nucala has been recommended for routine NHS use in draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Also known as mepolizumab, the therapy has been endorsed for use in adults with severe symptoms, including adults who suffer many asthma attacks or those taking regular oral steroids.

It is the first biologic treatment to target immune cells called eosinophils, which are thought to be responsible for causing symptoms in thousands of asthma patients. It stops the activity of a molecule called IL-5, which attracts asthma-causing eosinophils to airways.

Initially, NICE did not recommend the drug because the evidence GlaxoSmithKline presented did not reflect how it would be used in the NHS, but further information and cost reductions have since been offered, showing how it will represent a cost-effective option for the health service.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE centre for health technology evaluation, said: "Adults with severe asthma have had limited treatment options. Many end up taking oral corticosteroids for prolonged periods, which can cause further complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and mood swings."

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