GlaxoSmithKline plc (LON: GSK) has today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved two new methods for administering Nucala (mepolizumab), an autoinjector and a pre-filled safety syringe, for patients or caregivers to administer once every four weeks, after a healthcare professional decides it is appropriate. This is the first anti-IL5 biologic to be licensed in the US for at-home administration, and the first respiratory biologic to be approved for administration via an autoinjector.

This approval will give healthcare professionals and people living with severe eosinophilic asthma or the rare disease eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis the option for Nucala to be administered outside of a clinical setting by a patient or caregiver after their healthcare professional agrees this approach is appropriate. The original lyophilised powder version remains available for administration by a healthcare professional.

Dr Hal Barron, Chief Scientific Officer and President, R&D, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, said:

“Nucala’s efficacy is well-established and this approval means that, for the first time, we are able to provide patients living with these debilitating conditions the option of receiving this important medicine in their own home”.

Tonya Winders, President, Global Allergy and Asthma Patient Platform (GAAPP), added:

“People living with conditions like severe asthma often struggle to control their day-to-day symptoms, making routine activities like attending healthcare appointments a challenge. Empowering patients to take their medicines at home is an approach that has been successful in other chronic diseases such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. GAAPP welcomes this approval for Nucala so it can be administered in a doctor’s office or in the convenience of a patient’s home.”

The approval is supported by positive patient experience data from two open-label, single-arm, phase IIIa studies (NCT03099096 & NCT03021304) evaluating the real-world use of Nucala administered via the new options in-clinic and at home by patients with SEA, or by their caregivers. Both studies showed patients were able to successfully self-administer treatment with both the autoinjector and pre-filled syringe after appropriate training (89-95% and 100% respectively). In addition, the majority of patients preferred at home self-administration options compared to in-clinic administration.

A further open-label, parallel-group, single-dose study (NCT03014674) confirmed that the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of Nucala administered via pre-filled syringe or autoinjector was comparable to the originally approved lyophilised formulation.

Following this approval, it is expected that the new administration options for Nucala will be available in the US shortly.