The price you pay for Nucala may depend on factors such as your health or medical insurance and the pharmacy used. Financial assistance may be available to help you with the cost of Nucala.

Nucala is a prescription drug that’s used to treat eosinophilic asthma in adults and some children and for other conditions.

The active ingredient in Nucala is mepolizumab. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

Nucala is given as an injection under your skin. A healthcare professional may give you these injections or they may show you how to give yourself injections at home.

Several factors can affect the price you’ll pay for Nucala. These include:

  • your treatment plan
  • your insurance coverage
  • the pharmacy used
  • your dosage form, such as prefilled syringe or auto-injector
  • the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of Nucala
  • available financial assistance for Nucala (see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section)

Nucala may need to be purchased through a specialty pharmacy authorized to carry specialty drugs. This type of drug may be costly or require help from healthcare professionals to be taken safely and effectively. For more details about how to obtain Nucala, talk with your doctor.

To find out your cost for Nucala, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Nucala is a biologic drug, which means it’s made from parts of living organisms. It doesn’t come in a biosimilar form.

Biosimilars are like generic drugs, but unlike generics (which are made for nonbiologic drugs), biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

Why is there such a cost difference between biologic drugs and biosimilar drugs?

Biologic drugs can be expensive because of the research and testing needed to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

The manufacturer of a biologic drug can sell it exclusively for up to 12 years. When the biologic drug’s patent expires, other drugmakers can create biosimilar versions. This competition in the market may lead to lower costs for biosimilars. And because biosimilars are very similar to biologic drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower costs for biosimilars.

If you receive Nucala long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication: You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Nucala if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Nucala. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication: Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Nucala. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.

If you need help covering the cost of Nucala or understanding your insurance, check out these websites:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

Learn more about saving money on prescriptions with or without insurance.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about Nucala’s cost.

What is the cost per month for Nucala injections with insurance and without insurance?

If you don’t have insurance, your cost per month for Nucala injections will likely be higher than if you have insurance.

If you have insurance, ask your insurance provider what you’ll pay for Nucala. Otherwise, your doctor or pharmacist can give you information about the price of Nucala. They may also be able to suggest ways to help save on the drug’s cost.

Also, see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section.

Is the cost of Nucala auto-injectors different from prefilled syringes?

It’s possible. The cost of the Nucala auto-injector may be different from the Nucala prefilled syringes. And if you have insurance, your plan may only cover one form or the other.

For information about the cost difference between the auto-injector and prefilled syringe forms of Nucala, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Nucala. This means the company and your doctor will discuss the drug in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether Nucala is covered.

If a drug requires prior authorization, but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. Ask your doctor or insurance company whether Nucala requires prior authorization before you begin treatment.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.