Nucala approved in China for use in severe asthma

China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Nucala (mepolizumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older.

Marketed and developed by UK pharma major GSK (LSE: GSK), Nucala is the first anti-Interleukin-5 (IL-5) targeting treatment approved for use in China for adult and adolescent patients with this condition. The drug generated global sales of £413 million ($526.5 million) in the third quarter of 2023.

Asthma is a major health burden in China affecting an estimated 46 million adults. Of those, around 6% experience severe asthma, which confers the most substantial impact on daily living, is associated with an increased risk of exacerbations requiring hospitalisation, and higher likelihood of potentially fatal asthma attacks. In China, 15.5% of people with asthma have experienced an exacerbation requiring a hospital visit in the preceding 12 months.