Incruse Ellipta is a brand-name prescription drug. It’s FDA-approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. COPD is a lung condition that can make it hard to breathe. It’s caused by several diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Incruse Ellipta is meant to be used as a long-term treatment for COPD. When used consistently, it works over time to reduce symptoms of the condition. However, Incruse Ellipta is not a rescue inhaler. And it shouldn’t be used to quickly treat sudden breathing problems.

Incruse Ellipta contains the drug umeclidinium. It belongs to a class of medications called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.) These medications work by relaxing your airways. This makes it easier for you to breathe and decreases symptoms of COPD, such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Incruse Ellipta comes as a powder that’s taken using an inhaler once each day. It’s available in one strength: 62.5 mcg.

About Ellipta

The term “Ellipta” refers to the specific type of dry powder inhaler that Incruse Ellipta comes in.

Medications other than Incruse Ellipta also come in Ellipta inhalers.

These medications include fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (Breo Ellipta), umeclidinum/vilanterol (Anoro Ellipta) and fluticasone furoate (Arnuity Ellipta). But even though these medications are all called “Ellipta,” they each contain different active drugs.

Effectiveness

Clinical trials have shown that Incruse Ellipta can help improve lung function and the ability to breathe in people with COPD.

During clinical studies of people with COPD, a measurement called FEV1 is often recorded.

FEV1 stands for “forced expiratory volume in 1 second.” It’s the amount of air that a person can forcefully breathe out of their lungs in 1 second. FEV1 shows how well your lungs are functioning. Higher FEV1s indicate better lung function than lower FEV1s indicate.

In one study, some people were given Incruse Ellipta, while other people were given a placebo (no active drug).

After 169 days of treatment, people taking Incruse Ellipta had more improvement in their lung function compared with people taking the placebo. In this study, FEV1 was increased by about 115 mL more in people taking Incruse Ellipta than it was in people taking the placebo.

Incruse Ellipta is available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic form. (A generic drug is an exact copy of a brand-name medication, but it tends to cost less than the brand-name drug.)

Incruse Ellipta contains the active drug umeclidinium.

Typically, your doctor will have you start using Incruse Ellipta once each day. Then they may adjust your dosage over time to reach the amount that’s right for you. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect.

The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.

Drug forms and strengths

Incruse Ellipta comes as a powder inside an inhaler. It’s taken by inhaling the drug through your mouth and into your lungs. One inhalation (puff) of Incruse Ellipta delivers 62.5 mcg of the active drug umeclidinium.

Dosage for COPD

The typical dosage of Incruse Ellipta for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one inhalation (puff) taken once each day.

It’s best to take this medication at the same time each day. This will help make sure that you always have the right amount of Incruse Ellipta in your body. And it allows the drug to work properly in treating your COPD symptoms.

You shouldn’t take more than one dose of Incruse Ellipta within a 24-hour period.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose of Incruse Ellipta, you should take your dose as soon as you remember, unless it’s almost time for your next scheduled dose. If that’s the case, just skip the missed dose and take your next scheduled dose as usual.

But never take more than one dose of Incruse Ellipta at a time. And don’t take more than one dose of the drug within 24 hours.

To help make sure that you don’t miss a dose, try setting a reminder on your phone. A medication timer may be useful, too.

Will I need to use this drug long term?

Yes, you might. Incruse Ellipta is meant to be used consistently as a long-term treatment for COPD. The drug works over time to reduce your COPD symptoms.

It’s important to remember that COPD is a chronic (long-lasting) disease. There’s no known cure for the condition, but Incruse Ellipta can help make COPD less severe.

If you and your doctor determine that Incruse Ellipta is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely take it long term. But keep in mind that it shouldn’t be used to treat sudden breathing problems. (Instead, you’ll use a rescue inhaler to treat sudden breathing symptoms.)

Incruse Ellipta can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Incruse Ellipta. These lists do not include all possible side effects.

For more information on the possible side effects of Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome.

Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs they have approved. If you would like to report to the FDA a side effect you’ve had with Incruse Ellipta, you can do so through MedWatch.

More common side effects

The more common side effects of Incruse Ellipta can include:

Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Incruse Ellipta aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Serious side effects and their symptoms can include:

  • Paradoxical bronchospasm (tightening of your airway that’s unexpected because this drug is meant to relax your airway). Symptoms can include:
    • shortness of breath
    • chest tightness
    • trouble breathing
  • Eye problems, such as glaucoma (increased pressure in your eye). Symptoms can include:
    • eye pain
    • nausea
    • vomiting
    • blurry vision
    • redness in your eyes
    • seeing halos or bright colors around lights
  • Urinary retention. Symptoms can include:
    • trouble urinating
    • painful urination
    • urinating more often than usual
    • having a weak stream or only drops of urine
  • Severe allergic reaction, which is explained in more detail below in “Side effect details.”

Side effect details

You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug. Here’s some detail on some of the side effects this drug may cause.

Allergic reaction

As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Incruse Ellipta. In fact, this drug contains milk protein, which some people are allergic to. If you have a severe allergy to milk protein, you shouldn’t take Incruse Ellipta.

In clinical trials, no allergic reactions to Incruse Ellipta were reported. However, there have been some reports of people with allergies to milk protein who’ve had very serious allergic reactions (called anaphylaxis) to Incruse Ellipta.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

  • skin rash
  • itchiness
  • flushing (warmth and redness in your skin)

Symptoms of a more severe allergic reaction can include:

  • swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
  • swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
  • trouble breathing or speaking

Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Incruse Ellipta. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Upper respiratory infection

It’s possible to have upper respiratory infections (URIs) when you’re taking Incruse Ellipta. A URI is a viral infection that usually affects your nose and throat. And it’s often called the common cold. If you have a URI, you may develop a cough, sore throat, or congestion in your nose or throat.

In clinical trials, 5% of people taking Incruse Ellipta had a URI. In comparison, 4% of people taking a placebo (no active drug) had a URI.

If you have symptoms of a URI while you’re using Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to help reduce your symptoms.

You may wonder how Incruse Ellipta compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva are alike and different.

Ingredients

Incruse Ellipta contains the drug umeclidinium, while Spiriva contains the drug tiotropium. Both medications belong to a class of drugs called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.)

Uses

Incruse Ellipta is approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.

Spiriva comes in two forms: Spiriva HandiHaler and Spiriva Respimat. Both of these forms are approved to treat COPD in adults. In addition, Spiriva Respimat is approved to treat asthma in adults and children ages 6 years and older.

It’s important to remember than neither Incruse Ellipta nor Spiriva should be used as a rescue treatment for sudden breathing problems. Instead, these medications are meant to be used consistently over time to control breathing conditions.

If you have sudden breathing problems, you should use a rescue inhaler to treat your symptoms. Rescue inhalers work to quickly improve your ability to breathe.

Drug forms and administration

Incruse Ellipta comes as a powder inside an inhaler. It’s taken by inhalation once each day.

Spiriva is available in these two forms, which are each taken by inhalation once each day:

  • Spiriva HandiHaler, which comes as a dry powder inside capsules. (To take this medication, you’ll place one of the capsules inside an inhaler and breathe the drug into your lungs.)
  • Spiriva Respimat, which comes as spray inhaler.

Side effects and risks

Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva both belong to the same class of medications called anticholinergics. Therefore, these drugs can cause very similar side effects. Below are examples of these side effects.

More common side effects

These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Incruse Ellipta, with either form of Spiriva, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

  • Can occur with Incruse Ellipta:
    • joint pain
    • cough
    • changes in taste
    • muscle pain
    • tooth pain
    • belly pain
    • bruising on your skin
  • Can occur with Spiriva:
  • Can occur with both Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva:
    • throat pain
    • upper respiratory infections
    • runny or stuffy nose
    • increased or irregular heart rate

Serious side effects

The following list contains examples of serious side effects that can occur with Incruse Ellipta, with either form of Spiriva, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

Effectiveness

The only condition that both Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva are approved to treat is COPD.

The use of Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva in treating COPD has been directly compared in a clinical study. In this study, people with COPD were given either Incruse Ellipta or Spiriva HandiHaler once each day.

To assess how well they responded to treatment, a measurement called FEV1 was recorded. FEV1 stands for “forced expiratory volume in 1 second.”

It’s the amount of air that a person can forcefully breathe out of their lungs in 1 second. FEV1 shows how well your lungs are functioning. Higher FEV1s indicate better lung function than lower FEV1s indicate.

After 85 days of treatment, FEV1 in people taking Incruse Ellipta had increased by 59 mL more than FEV1 had increased in people taking Spiriva HandiHaler.

Costs

Incruse Ellipta and Spiriva are both brand-name drugs. There are currently no generic forms of either drug. (A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.) Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics.

Incruse Ellipta generally costs less than either Spiriva HandiHaler or Spiriva Respimat. The actual price you’ll pay for either drug will depend on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use.

Like Spiriva, discussed above, other medications are also prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus are alike and different.

Ingredients

Incruse Ellipta contains the active drug umeclidinium. It belongs to a class of medications called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.)

Advair contains two active medications: salmeterol and fluticasone propionate. Salmeterol belongs to a class of drugs called long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs), while fluticasone belongs to a class of drugs called inhaled corticosteroids.

Uses

Incruse Ellipta is approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.

Advair is available in two forms: Advair Diskus and Advair HFA.

Advair Diskus is approved to treat COPD in adults. It can also be used to treat asthma in adults and children ages 4 years and older. Advair HFA, on the other hand, is only approved to treat asthma. It can be used in adults and children ages 12 years and older. (This article focuses on Advair Diskus.)

It’s important to remember than neither Incruse Ellipta nor Advair should be used as a rescue treatment for sudden breathing problems. Instead, these medications are meant to be used consistently over time to control breathing conditions.

If you have sudden breathing problems, you should use a rescue inhaler to treat your symptoms. Rescue inhalers work to quickly improve your ability to breathe.

Drug forms and administration

Incruse Ellipta comes as a powder inside an inhaler. It’s taken by inhalation once each day.

Advair Diskus comes as a dry powder inhaler. It’s usually taken twice each day by inhalation. Because Advair Diskus contains a steroid, it’s important that you rinse your mouth out after each dose of the drug. Doing this can help prevent oral thrush (a fungal infection in your mouth and throat).

Side effects and risks

Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus both contain medications to help control your COPD. These medications can cause very similar side effects. Below are examples of these side effects.

More common side effects

These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Incruse Ellipta, with Advair Diskus, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

  • Can occur with Incruse Ellipta:
    • changes in taste
    • tooth pain
    • belly pain
    • bruising on your skin
  • Can occur with Advair Diskus:
    • headache
    • hoarseness or changes in your voice
    • oral thrush
  • Can occur with both Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus:
    • throat pain
    • stuffy or runny nose
    • cough
    • respiratory infections
    • joint or muscle pain

Serious side effects

These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Incruse Ellipta, with Advair Diskus, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

Effectiveness

The only condition that both Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus are approved to treat is COPD.

These drugs haven’t been directly compared in clinical studies. But separate studies have found both Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus to be effective for treating COPD.

In addition, one study was done to see if people with COPD had better lung function when they took Incruse Ellipta along with Advair Diskus. Some people took these drugs together, while other people took Advair Diskus with a placebo (no active drug).

To assess how well they responded to treatment, a measurement called FEV1 was recorded. FEV1 stands for “forced expiratory volume in 1 second.”

It’s the amount of air that a person can forcefully breathe out of their lungs in 1 second. FEV1 shows how well your lungs are functioning. Higher FEV1s indicate better lung function than lower FEV1s indicate.

In the study, FEV1 was increased by 127 mL to 148 mL more in people taking both Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus than it was in people taking Advair Diskus with the placebo.

Costs

Incruse Ellipta and Advair Diskus are both brand-name drugs. There’s currently no generic form of Incruse Ellipta. (A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.) Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics.

However, Advair Diskus is available as the generic drug fluticasone/salmeterol. It’s also available as another equivalent medication called Wixela. This medication is available in the same strengths as Advair Diskus.

Incruse Ellipta is less expensive Advair Diskus. But the actual price you’ll pay for any drug depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use.

Other drugs are available that can treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some may be a better fit for you than others. If you’re interested in finding an alternative to Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.

Incruse Ellipta contains the active drug umeclidinium. It belongs to a class of medications called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.)

Other anticholinergic drugs that are used to treat COPD include:

In addition, other medications may be used to treat COPD, including:

  • long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs), such as:
    • indacaterol (Arcapta)
    • salmeterol (Serevent)
    • olodaterol (Striverdi)
  • combination inhalers that contain both a LABA and a corticosteroid, such as:
  • combination inhalers that contain both a LABA and an anticholinergic drug, such as:
  • oral medications (drugs taken by mouth), such as:
    • roflumilast (Daliresp)
    • theophylline (Theochron)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Incruse Ellipta to treat certain conditions. Incruse Ellipta may also be used off-label for other conditions. Off-label use is when a drug that’s approved to treat one condition is used to treat a different condition.

Incruse Ellipta for COPD

Incruse Ellipta is FDA-approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. This condition affects your lungs and your ability to breathe.

COPD is a group of several lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Incruse Ellipta can help to control COPD symptoms, which may include:

  • tightness in your chest
  • cough
  • wheezing
  • shortness of breath

With COPD, it often gets harder for you to breathe as time passes. That’s why it’s important to treat the condition and control its symptoms. COPD can also increase your risk of other health conditions, such as heart disease and certain infections.

By treating your COPD, you can help to reduce your risk of developing these other conditions.

Incruse Ellipta is meant to be used consistently over time to manage COPD symptoms. This drug isn’t meant to be used as a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems.

Instead, you should use a rescue inhaler to treat sudden breathing problems. Rescue inhalers work to quickly improve your ability to breathe.

Effectiveness for COPD

Clinical trials have shown that Incruse Ellipta can help improve lung function and the ability to breathe in people with COPD.

During clinical studies of people with COPD, a measurement called FEV1 is often recorded. FEV1 stands for “forced expiratory volume in 1 second.”

It’s the amount of air that a person can forcefully breathe out of their lungs in 1 second. FEV1 shows how well your lungs are functioning. Higher FEV1s indicate better lung function than lower FEV1s indicate.

In one study, some people were given Incruse Ellipta, while other people were given a placebo (no active drug). After 169 days of treatment, people taking Incruse Ellipta had more improvement in their lung function compared with people taking the placebo.

In this study, FEV1 was increased by about 115 mL more in people taking Incruse Ellipta than it was in people taking the placebo.

Off-label use for Incruse Ellipta

In addition to the use listed above, Incruse Ellipta may be used off-label for other uses. (Off-label drug use is when a drug that’s approved for one use is used for a different one that’s not approved.) Below we describe one off-label use for Incruse Ellipta.

Incruse Ellipta for asthma

Incruse Ellipta isn’t FDA-approved to treat asthma, but sometimes it’s used off-label for this condition.

Incruse Ellipta is an anticholinergic drug. Many other anticholinergic medications, such as tiotropium (Spiriva Respimat), are FDA-approved to treat asthma.

Currently, studies are being done to see if Incruse Ellipta is safe and effective for use in people with asthma. And so far, the studies seem to show that Incruse Ellipta may be effective to treat this condition. However, at this time, the medication still isn’t FDA-approved to treat asthma.

If you’d like to know more about treatment options for asthma, talk with your doctor.

Incruse Ellipta and children

Incruse Ellipta isn’t approved for use in children. It’s not known for sure if the drug is safe for use in children because it wasn’t studied in them. And keep in mind that Incruse Ellipta is only approved to treat COPD, which is a condition that doesn’t usually affect children.

If you’d like to know about medications that can be used to treat breathing conditions in children, talk with your doctor.

Incruse Ellipta is sometimes used along with other medications to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This may be the case if your COPD isn’t controlled enough by Incruse Ellipta.

Incruse Ellipta works to treat COPD by relaxing your airway so that you can breathe more easily. Some other medications used to treat COPD work in different ways to help make it easier for you to breathe and to reduce your COPD symptoms. These other medications are described below.

If you have questions about whether you need to use other medications with Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor.

Incruse Ellipta with rescue inhalers

Incruse Ellipta shouldn’t be used to treat sudden breathing problems or any flare-ups of COPD symptoms. Instead, Incruse Ellipta is meant to be used consistently over time to control COPD symptoms.

If you’re having sudden breathing problems, you should use a rescue inhaler to treat your symptoms.

Rescue inhalers, such as albuterol (Proair, Ventolin HFA) or levalbuterol (Xopenex), work quickly to help you breathe more easily. Incruse Ellipta, on the other hand, works over time to control your symptoms. Don’t use Incruse Ellipta to treat sudden breathing problems.

Incruse Ellipta with other maintenance medications

Incruse Ellipta is meant to be used consistently over time to control COPD symptoms. Because of this, it’s sometimes called a maintenance medication.

Incruse Ellipta can also be used along with other maintenance medications, such as long-acting beta2 agonists (LABAs) or inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

Examples of other maintenance medications, which both contain a LABA and an ICS, include:

If using just one COPD maintenance medication isn’t working well enough to treat your COPD, your doctor may recommend that you use more than one drug.

You should take Incruse Ellipta according to your doctor or healthcare provider’s instructions.

Incruse Ellipta is an inhaled medication that’s taken once each day. Using the Incruse Ellipta inhaler, you’ll inhale the drug through your mouth and into your lungs.

In one study, the Ellipta inhaler was found to be easy to use. In fact, within 4 weeks of using the inhaler, 96% of people used it correctly and felt that it was easy to use.

Keep in mind that even if you don’t taste or feel the medication in your mouth, you don’t need to take another dose. Some people don’t taste or feel anything when they take Incruse Ellipta. And taking more than one dose of the drug within one day can be dangerous for you.

Before taking Incruse Ellipta for the first time, your doctor or pharmacist can show you how to correctly take it. You can also view an instructional video on the manufacturer’s website.

When to take

You should take one dose of Incruse Ellipta once each day. You shouldn’t take the drug more than once within a 24-hour period.

Incruse Ellipta works best if you take your doses at about the same time each day. To help make sure that you don’t miss a dose, try setting a reminder on your phone. A medication timer may be useful, too.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Incruse Ellipta.

Is Incruse Ellipta a steroid?

No, Incruse Ellipta isn’t a steroid. Instead, Incruse Ellipta belongs to a class of medications called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.) These drugs work by relaxing your airways, which makes it easier for you to breathe.

But sometimes, Incruse Ellipta is used along with steroid medications to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Examples of inhaled COPD medications that contain a steroid include:

If you have questions about whether you need to take use steroids to treat your COPD, talk with your doctor.

Should I use Incruse Ellipta for sudden breathing problems?

No, you should never use Incruse Ellipta to treat sudden breathing problems. Incruse Ellipta works over time to relax the muscles in your airway and make it easier for you to breathe. But this medication doesn’t work quickly enough to help treat sudden breathing problems.

If you have sudden breathing problems, you’ll need to use a rescue inhaler to quickly treat your symptoms. Examples of rescue inhalers include albuterol (Proair, Ventolin HFA) and levalbuterol (Xopenex).

If you have questions about using a rescue inhaler, talk with your doctor.

Will I taste Incruse Ellipta while I’m taking my dose?

It’s possible that you’ll taste the Incruse Ellipta when you’re inhaling the drug. But some people don’t taste the medication or feel anything inside their mouth when they take their dose.

But if you have an unpleasant taste after taking Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to recommend ways to reduce this side effect.

Can I use Incruse Ellipta if I have heart problems?

Yes, you’ll probably be able to. However, it’s possible that Incruse Ellipta can increase your heart rate.

In clinical trials, about 1% of people taking Incruse Ellipta had an increased heart rate. In comparison, less than 1% of people taking a placebo (no active drug) had an increased heart rate. If you already have an increased heart rate, this drug may increase your heart rate too much.

If you have any heart-related conditions, including an increased heart rate, it’s important that you talk with your doctor before starting Incruse Ellipta. They’ll be able to recommend whether this medication is safe for you to use.

There aren’t any known interactions between Incruse Ellipta and alcohol. But it’s possible that drinking alcohol over a long period of time can increase your symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can also weaken your immune system, which can worsen your COPD symptoms.

If you have COPD and drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much alcohol is safe for you to consume.

Incruse Ellipta can interact with other medications. However, there aren’t any known interactions of Incruse Ellipta with supplements or foods.

Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe.

Incruse Ellipta and other medications

Below is a list of medications that can interact with Incruse Ellipta. This list doesn’t contain all the drugs that may interact with Incruse Ellipta.

Before taking Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Incruse Ellipta and other anticholinergic medications

Incruse Ellipta belongs to a class of drugs called anticholinergics. (A medication class is a group of drugs that work in the same way.) You shouldn’t take Incruse Ellipta if you’re already taking another anticholinergic medication.

Anticholinergic medications work by relaxing the muscles in your airway, which make it easier for you to breathe. However, taking more than one anticholinergic medication at one time can increase your risk of side effects from the drugs. Sometimes, these side effects can be serious, causing you to overheat or have hallucinations.

Examples of anticholinergic medications that should be avoided while you’re taking Incruse Ellipta include:

There are many other anticholinergic medications that aren’t listed above. Talk with your doctor about all the medications you’re taking before starting Incuse Ellipta. They’ll help you determine if it’s safe for you to take Incuse Ellipta.

Incruse Ellipta and herbs and supplements

There aren’t any herbs or supplements that have been specifically reported to interact with Incruse Ellipta. However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any vitamins, herbs, or supplements while you’re taking Incruse Ellipta.

Incruse Ellipta and foods

There aren’t any foods that have been specifically reported to interact with Incruse Ellipta. If you have any questions about whether it’s safe for you to eat certain foods while using Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor.

As with all medications, the cost of Incruse Ellipta can vary.

The actual price you’ll pay will depend on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use.

Your insurance plan may require you to get prior authorization before they approve coverage for Incruse Ellipta. This means that your doctor will need to send a request to your insurance company asking them to cover the drug. The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Incruse Ellipta.

If you’re not sure if you’ll need to get prior authorization for Incruse Ellipta, contact your insurance plan.

Financial and insurance assistance

If you need financial support to pay for Incruse Ellipta, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available.

GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Incruse Ellipta, offers a program called GSKForYou. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for support, call 866-GSK-FOR-U (866-475-3678) or visit the program website.

Incruse Ellipta is approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. COPD is a lung condition that includes several diseases that get worse over time. These diseases include chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

COPD causes your airways to be tight. And the condition often makes it harder for you to breathe as time passes.

Incruse Ellipta is a type of medication called an anticholinergic. It works by relaxing the muscles around your airways, which makes it easier for you to breathe. This drug also helps to decrease your COPD symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, and trouble breathing.

How long does it take to work?

Incruse Ellipta is a maintenance (long-term) medication that’s meant to be used every day. It works over time to relax your airways and help you to breathe more easily. While Incruse Ellipta can start working after your first dose, it may take weeks for you to notice a decrease in your COPD symptoms.

It’s important that you continue taking Incruse Ellipta every day, whether or not you’re having COPD symptoms. (But be sure to use your rescue inhaler for any sudden breathing problems you may have.)

It’s not known whether or not Incruse Ellipta is safe to take during pregnancy. This is because there haven’t been enough studies done in pregnant women using the drug.

However, animal studies have shown that there’s no increased risk of birth defects in fetuses exposed to the drug during pregnancy. And in these animal studies, pregnant animals were given between 50 and 200 times the maximum recommended dose of Incruse Ellipta for humans.

However, it’s important to remember that animal studies don’t always show what will happen in humans using the drug.

If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor before using Incruse Ellipta.

It’s not known for sure if Incruse Ellipta is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re sexually active and you or your partner can become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your birth control needs while you’re using Incruse Ellipta.

It’s not known whether or not Incruse Ellipta is safe to take while breastfeeding. There haven’t been any studies done in humans to know whether Incruse Ellipta is passed into breast milk. It’s also not known if the drug would have any effects on a child who’s breastfed.

In animal studies, the drug was found in offspring who were breastfed by females who were injected with an Incruse Ellipta solution.

But keep in mind that Incruse Ellipta isn’t given by injection in people. Instead, Incruse Ellipta is inhaled into your lungs. And the results of animal studies don’t always predict what will happen in people.

If you’re breastfeeding, talk with your doctor before using Incruse Ellipta.

Before taking Incruse Ellipta, talk with your doctor about your health history. Incruse Ellipta may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. These include:

  • Sudden trouble breathing. You shouldn’t use Incruse Ellipta to treat sudden breathing problems. Instead, Incruse Ellipta should be used consistently as a maintenance (long-term) treatment to reduce symptoms of COPD. This drug will not help to treat sudden symptom flare-ups. To treat sudden breathing problems, you’ll need to use a rescue inhaler such as albuterol (Proair, Ventolin HFA) or levalbuterol (Xopenex).
  • Allergic reactions, including allergies to milk proteins. Allergic reactions have occurred in people taking Incruse Ellipta. Sometimes, these allergic reactions can be severe (called anaphylaxis) and cause swelling of your tongue or mouth, itching, or rash. Because Incruse Ellipta contains lactose, you should not use the drug if you have a severe allergy to milk protein. Also, if you’re allergic to umeclidinium (the active drug in Incruse Ellipta) or any other ingredients in Incruse Ellipta, you should avoid taking this drug. Taking the drug can increase your risk of having a severe allergic reaction.
  • Worsening of narrow-angle glaucoma. Incruse Ellipta can cause new or worsening narrow-angle glaucoma (increased pressure in your eye). Symptoms of glaucoma include eye pain and blurry vision. If you have glaucoma, talk with your doctor before starting Incruse Ellipta. They may recommend that you take a medication other than Incruse Ellipta.
  • Worsening of urinary retention. Incruse Ellipta may cause new or worsening urinary retention. Urinary retention can make urination difficult or even painful. You may be at higher risk of urinary retention if you have certain prostate or bladder problems. Talk with your doctor if you about your risk of urinary retention with Incruse Ellipta treatment.
  • Pregnancy. It’s not known if Incruse Ellipta is safe to take during pregnancy. For more information, please see the “Incruse Ellipta and pregnancy” section above.
  • Breastfeeding. It’s not known if Incruse Ellipta is safe to take while breastfeeding. For more information, please see the “Incruse Ellipta and breastfeeding” section above.

Note: For more information about the potential negative effects of Incruse Ellipta, see the “Incruse Ellipta side effects” section above.

In clinical studies, no one overdosed on Incruse Ellipta. However, it’s possible to overdose on the drug by using more than the recommended dosage. And overdosing may lead to serious side effects.

Overdose symptoms

Symptoms of overdose that have occurred with drugs that are similar to Incruse Ellipta include:

What to do in case of overdose

If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 800-222-1222 or use their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

When you get Incruse Ellipta from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the box. This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication.

Once you open the foil tray that the Incruse Ellipta inhaler comes in, the medication should be used within 6 weeks. Because of this, it’s important that you don’t open the tray until you’re ready to start using the drug.

When you first open a foil tray of Incruse Ellipta, write down the date that the package was opened. You should also write down the “discard date”, which will be 6 weeks from the date that you opened it.

Once 6 weeks have passed or the dose counter on the inhaler reads “0,” the inhaler should be discarded. (Each Incruse Ellipta inhaler holds 30 doses of the drug. The dose counter will read “0” when all of the doses have been used.)

The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time.

The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.

Storage

How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication.

Incruse Ellipta should be stored at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C). The lowest temperature that Incruse Ellipta should be stored at is 59°F (15°C), while the maximum temperature is 86°F (30°C).

Incruse Ellipta should be stored in the foil tray that it comes in until you’re ready to use the drug. And keep in mind that once you open the foil tray, the medication is only good for 6 weeks.

Disposal

Incruse Ellipta is not a refillable inhaler. This means each time you pick up a new prescription from your pharmacy, you’ll be given a new inhaler that’s filled with 30 doses of the drug.

Incruse Ellipta inhalers should be thrown away after they’ve been out of their foil packaging for 6 weeks, or once the dose counter on the inhaler reads “0.” (A reading of “0” on the dose counter indicates that there aren’t any doses remaining in the inhaler.)

If you no longer need to take Incruse Ellipta and have leftover medication, it’s important to dispose of it safely. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident. It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment.

The FDA website provides several useful tips on medication disposal. You can also ask your pharmacist for information on how to dispose of your medication.

The following information is provided for clinicians and other healthcare professionals.

Indications

Incruse Ellipta is indicated for maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.

Mechanism of action

Incruse Ellipta is an anticholinergic medication, also known as a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA). It works to make breathing easier by blocking M3 receptors in the smooth muscle of the airways, which leads to bronchodilation.

Incruse Ellipta may also have an effect on muscarinic receptors M1, M2, M4, and M5. However, when inhaled, it has a site-specific effect in the smooth muscles of the airways.

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism

Incruse Ellipta is an inhaled anticholinergic drug that’s absorbed predominantly through the lungs.

The maximum concentrations (Cmax) of the drug occurred at 5 to 15 minutes post-dose in healthy people. Steady state concentration was reached at 14 days after the first dose was given. Half-life after once daily dosing is about 11 hours.

Incruse Ellipta is primarily metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 2D6. It’s metabolized by oxidation through hydroxylation and O-dealkylation. It’s then conjugated via glucuronidation.

Pharmacological activity of the many metabolites of Incruse Ellipta is either less than that of the active drug or it hasn’t yet been determined. However, systemic exposure to the metabolites of Incruse Ellipta is low.

After oral dosing, 92% of radiolabeled umeclidinium was recovered in feces. In comparison, less than 1% was recovered in urine. These findings predict a very low oral absorption of the drug.

Contraindications

Incruse Ellipta is contraindicated for use in people who are allergic to umeclidinium or any of its components, including magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate.

It’s also contraindicated in people with severe allergies to milk protein. The medication does contain lactose. Severe allergic reactions have occurred due to lactose exposure.

Storage

Incruse Ellipta should be stored at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C). The minimum temperature Incruse Ellipta should be at is 59°F (15°C), while the maximum temperature for storage is 86°F (30°C).

The medication should be stored in the original foil tray, as dispensed, until it’s ready to be used. Once the foil tray is opened, the medication inside the inhaler can only be used for up to 6 weeks.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today 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 other 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.

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