🇮🇪Ireland
16°C Partly Cloudy · Dublin
Live Updates
--:--:-- IST
Writer Login
Latest
University of Galway to Lead New €64.5m Research Ireland Rinn Medical Devices Centre Chanelle Pharma Renews Historic Partnership with Galway Races Summer Festival 2026 The Distortion of Irish GDP: How 'Phantom Exports' Are Reshaping the Biopharma Landscape The Anatomy of a Biologics Warning Letter: Deconstructing Genzyme Waterford’s FDA Audit The Dublin-Backed Roll-Up Reshaping UK Pharma Packaging: Inside Woodberry's Double Acquisition The Pill That Promised a Revolution: Why Eli Lilly's Foundayo Is Launching Slower Than Wall Street Expected Speed Over Scrutiny? The High-Stakes Gamble Behind the NHS's New Fast-Track Drug Pilots A Global Milestone for Wellness: Chanelle McCoy Health Secures Historic Dual SFDA and European Novel Food Regulatory Approvals University of Galway to Lead New €64.5m Research Ireland Rinn Medical Devices Centre Chanelle Pharma Renews Historic Partnership with Galway Races Summer Festival 2026 The Distortion of Irish GDP: How 'Phantom Exports' Are Reshaping the Biopharma Landscape The Anatomy of a Biologics Warning Letter: Deconstructing Genzyme Waterford’s FDA Audit The Dublin-Backed Roll-Up Reshaping UK Pharma Packaging: Inside Woodberry's Double Acquisition The Pill That Promised a Revolution: Why Eli Lilly's Foundayo Is Launching Slower Than Wall Street Expected Speed Over Scrutiny? The High-Stakes Gamble Behind the NHS's New Fast-Track Drug Pilots A Global Milestone for Wellness: Chanelle McCoy Health Secures Historic Dual SFDA and European Novel Food Regulatory Approvals
Markets · 15 min delay
NBI4,187.6▲ +1.14%
PFE28.42▼ -0.38%
AZN74.18▲ +0.81%
NVO103.55▲ +2.07%
ROG261.40▼ -0.55%
ABBV174.92▲ +0.29%
EUR/USD1.0842▼ -0.12%
ISEQ9,241.3▲ +0.62%
NBI4,187.6▲ +1.14%
PFE28.42▼ -0.38%
AZN74.18▲ +0.81%
NVO103.55▲ +2.07%
ROG261.40▼ -0.55%
ABBV174.92▲ +0.29%
EUR/USD1.0842▼ -0.12%

← All drug comparisons

Xolair vs Nucala

Omalizumab  ·  Mepolizumab

Anti-IgE against anti-IL-5 in severe asthma — the blood test that decides which one a patient is likely to respond to.

At a glance

XolairOmalizumab
NucalaMepolizumab
Brand name
Xolair
Nucala
Drug class
Anti-IgE antibody
IL-5 antagonist
Route
Subcutaneous
Subcutaneous
Marketed by
Genentech (Roche)
GlaxoSmithKline
First FDA approval
20 Jun 2003
4 Nov 2015
US shortage
Not listed
Not listed

Key differences

What each one treats

XolairOmalizumab

XOLAIR is an anti-IgE antibody indicated for: Moderate to severe persistent asthma in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with a positive skin test or in vitro reactivity to a perennial aeroallergen and symptoms that are inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids ( 1.1 ) Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in adult patients 18 years of age and older with inadequate response to nasal corticosteroids, as add-on maintenance treatment ( 1.2 ) IgE-mediated food allergy in adult and pediatric patients aged 1 year and older for the reduction of allergic reactions (Type I), including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to one or more foods. To be used in conjunction with food allergen avoidance ( 1.3 ) Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older who remain symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine…

NucalaMepolizumab

NUCALA is an interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist monoclonal antibody (IgG1 kappa) indicated for: • Add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with severe asthma and with an eosinophilic phenotype. ( 1.1 ) • Add-on maintenance treatment of adult patients aged 18 years and older with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). ( 1.2 ) • Add-on maintenance treatment of adult patients with inadequately controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an eosinophilic phenotype. ( 1.3 ) • The treatment of adult patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). ( 1.4 ) • The treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) for greater than or equal to 6 months without an identifiable non-hematologic secondary cause. ( 1.5 ) Limitations of use: Not for relief of acute …

How each one works

XolairAnti-IgE antibody

12.1 Mechanism of Action Asthma, Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps, and IgE-Mediated Food Allergy Omalizumab inhibits the binding of IgE to the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) on the surface of mast cells, basophils, and dendritic cells, resulting in FcεRI down-regulation on these cells. In allergic asthmatics, treatment with omalizumab inhibits IgE-mediated inflammation, as evidenced by reduced blood and tissue eosinophils and reduced inflammatory mediators, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Omalizumab binds to IgE and lowers free IgE levels. Subsequently, IgE receptors (FcεRI) on cells down-regulate. The mechanism by which these effects of omalizumab…

NucalaIL-5 antagonist

12.1 Mechanism of Action Mepolizumab is an IL-5 antagonist (IgG1 kappa). IL-5 is the major cytokine responsible for the growth and differentiation, recruitment, activation, and survival of eosinophils. Mepolizumab binds to IL-5 with a dissociation constant of 100 pM, inhibiting the bioactivity of IL-5 by blocking its binding to the alpha chain of the IL-5 receptor complex expressed on the eosinophil cell surface. Inflammation is an important component in the pathogenesis of asthma, CRSwNP, COPD, EGPA, and HES. Multiple cell types (e.g., mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes) and mediators (e.g., histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, cytokines) are involved in inflam…

Related comparisons

Fasenra VS Nucala Xolair VS Dupixent

Read more

Xolair profile Nucala profile IL-5 Inhibitors All comparisons
This is not medical advice, and not a recommendation of one drug over the other.

Which medicine is right for a given person depends on their diagnosis, other conditions, other medicines, kidney and liver function, pregnancy, and cost or reimbursement — none of which this page knows. Two drugs in the same class are not automatically interchangeable. Never start, stop or switch a prescription medicine on the basis of a web page; that decision belongs to you and your clinician or pharmacist.

Class and summary text is written by the Priya Life Science editorial team. Label, mechanism, route, manufacturer and approval data come from the U.S. FDA via the openFDA API; shortage status from the FDA Drug Shortage Database. Approvals, indications and brand names differ between the US, EU/Ireland (EMA/HPRA) and other regions — a drug approved in one may not be approved, or may carry a different name, in another.