No, Nucala isn’t a steroid. Steroids are medications that are used to reduce inflammation (swelling) in many different diseases. These drugs work in a number of ways. Nucala also reduces inflammation, but in a different and more specific way than steroids do. Nucala targets eosinophils, the blood cells that cause inflammation in severe eosinophilic asthma and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).
You take Nucala along with your current steroid treatment. So the two drugs help reduce inflammation in two different ways. If your asthma or EGPA improves after you start taking Nucala, your doctor may reduce your dose of steroids. This may benefit you if you have a lot of side effects from your steroids.
If you have questions about steroids or Nucala, talk with your doctor.