What Are Ellipta Inhalers, and Are They Good for Asthma and COPD?

If you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you’ll likely use an inhaler to help control your symptoms. Inhalers are medical devices that deliver medication straight into your lungs. 

Many inhaler styles are available for you and your healthcare provider to choose from. They differ in how they work, and they have different tips, tricks, and side effects to be aware of. It’s possible that one inhaler is a better fit for you than another. 

A newer type of inhaler, called an Ellipta inhaler, is a type of dry powder inhaler (DPI). It requires less coordination compared to your traditional metered dose inhaler. If you’re thinking about using an Ellipta inhaler, it's important to know how it works, its pros and cons, and which medications are available.

How do Ellipta inhalers work?

Ellipta inhalers are small handheld devices that contain multiple doses of dry powder medication in a blister strip. 

A blister strip is a type of packaging used for medications. Single doses of medication are placed into pockets and sealed with foil. When it’s time to take a dose, you push the medication through the foil to release it. You may have seen this type of packaging used for over-the-counter products, like cold medicine or lozenges. When it comes to Ellipta inhalers, they peel the foil off of blister strips of medication contained inside the inhaler. This allows you to inhale a single dose of the medication into your lungs. 

Like all DPIs, Ellipta inhalers are breath-activated. This means you must take a deep breath from the inhaler to release the medication. 

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What is unique about Ellipta inhalers?

Each Ellipta inhaler comes with medication preloaded inside of blister strips. What makes the Ellipta inhaler unique is that it can hold two blister strips of medication. Other DPIs can only hold one blister package. Because of this, Ellipta inhalers can potentially hold more types of medications than other DPI inhalers. For example, Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol) contains three separate medications packed in two foil blister strips. 

By separating the medications into two strips, it protects each product until you’re ready to take a dose. When you use the inhaler, medication from both strips will be delivered to your lungs.

How do I use an Ellipta inhaler?

You should follow these steps to use an Ellipta inhaler:

1. Stand or sit up straight. Remove any substances from your mouth, such as chewing gum.

2. Open the Ellipta inhaler cover by sliding it down until you hear a “click” sound.

3. Hold the inhaler away from your mouth. Breathe out (exhale) as far as is comfortable. Make sure to avoid breathing into your inhaler.

4. Put the mouthpiece of the inhaler into your mouth. Close your lips around the mouthpiece to form a good seal. 

5. Breathe in deeply through your mouth. Remember to avoid breathing through your nose.

6. Remove the inhaler from your mouth and continue to hold your breath for at least 3 to 4 seconds.

7. Breathe out slowly away from the inhaler.

8. Check your inhaler for debris. Wipe with a dry tissue if needed.

9. Slide the cover of your Ellipta inhaler all the way upwards to fully cover the mouthpiece.

Remember: You may not taste or immediately feel the effects of the medication when you use an Ellipta inhaler. This is expected, so don’t feel like you used it incorrectly. To double check, you can make sure your inhaler’s dose counter went down one unit after using the inhaler.

Common mistakes when using an Ellipta inhaler

You’ll want to make sure that you’re using your Ellipta inhaler properly to help control your breathing symptoms. 

Here are a few quick tips for using and taking care of your Ellipta inhaler:

• After opening the outer foil packaging of your inhaler, it should be used within 6 weeks. 

• Don’t shake or breathe into your Ellipta inhaler.

• Be careful not to block the air vent with your fingers while using it.

• Don’t open and close your Ellipta inhaler without inhaling a dose. The dose will be lost and no longer available to use.

• Store your Ellipta inhaler in a cool, dry place with the mouthpiece always covered.

• If you need to clean the mouthpiece of your inhaler, only use a dry tissue to wipe it. Don’t use water in or around your Ellipta inhaler. This can clog it.

If you have any questions about how to use and care for your Ellipta inhaler, talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Which Ellipta inhalers are on the U.S. market?

In the U.S., there are currently five Ellipta inhalers available for use.

All Ellipta inhalers are currently available as brand-name medications. They don’t have generic equivalents, but there are ways you can save.

If you have prescription insurance, your plan may pay for all or part of your medication’s cost. And if you don’t have insurance, or if your medication isn’t covered, free GoodRx coupons are available for each inhaler. You may also be eligible for manufacturer copay cards to help reduce your out-of-pocket costs. 

Are Ellipta inhalers good options for asthma or COPD?

Yes. Ellipta inhalers are good options for asthma and/or COPD. 

They’re used as maintenance (controller) medications to control and prevent breathing symptoms. Ellipta inhalers contain long-acting medications, such as an inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting beta agonist (LABA), long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), or a combination of these types. 

Ellipta inhalers are designed to work over time, so they aren’t as effective as rescue inhalers for quick relief from symptoms.

How do the different types of medications work?

Inhaled corticosteroids work by lowering inflammation in your airways. They are very effective in controlling asthma symptoms, and they are sometimes used for COPD. An example of an inhaled corticosteroid is Arnuity Ellipta.

LABAs work by relaxing the muscles in your airways to keep them open. If you have asthma, you shouldn’t use a LABA alone due to the risk of severe side effects. For this reason, LABAs are usually combined with inhaled corticosteroids when prescribed for people with asthma. An example of a LABA is vilanterol, which is found in inhalers like Breo Ellipta, Trelegy Ellipta, and Anoro Ellipta.

LAMAs also work by relaxing muscles in your airways to make breathing easier. They can be used by themselves in COPD. Like LABAs, they’re recommended to be used in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid for asthma. An example of a LAMA is umeclidinium, found in medications like Trelegy Ellipta, Incruse Ellipta, and Anoro Ellipta. LAMAs can also be used with LABAs, especially in people with COPD. 

Is there an advantage to using an Ellipta inhaler over another inhaler?

Studies show that many inhaler users prefer Ellipta inhalers over other inhalers, such as Diskus inhalers. This is due to ease of use and design of the mouthpiece. You don’t have to coordinate releasing the medication and breathing in at the same time. 

The Ellipta inhaler has other advantages too, including:

• The device is a small size for easy carrying and travel

• You don’t have to push an additional button to break the blister package

• It can stand in an upright position, which makes for better storage

• They have a dose counter window with a larger viewing window

What are the disadvantages to using an Ellipta inhaler?

The main disadvantage to using an Ellipta inhaler is that you must be able to take a deep breath in. If you don’t, the device may not deliver medication to your lungs. If your breathing symptoms make it hard to breathe in deeply, an Ellipta inhaler may not be the best choice.

Another disadvantage is that DPIs, including Ellipta inhalers, use powdered lactose to carry the active ingredients. If you have a sensitivity to lactose, a sugar commonly found in dairy products, you may not want to use an Ellipta inhaler.

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Written by:

Sheila McAdoo, PharmD

Sheila McAdoo, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist in Virginia, New York, and the District of Columbia. She has worked in the pharmacy industry for 12 years and currently works as a community pharmacist.

Edited by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. In his early career, he provided direct patient care in a variety of settings, including hospital and community pharmacies, and in a primary care clinic as a clinical pharmacist.

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