To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Fast- Plus Long-Acting Beta Agonist Improves Asthma Maintenance Therapy Compliance: Presented at AAAAI URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/21EA6A.htm Doctor's Guide March 24, 2008
By Em Brown PHILADELPHIA -- March 24, 2008 -- A study presented here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting shows that the long-acting beta agonist formoterol has the same onset of action as the short-acting beta agonist albuterol. Formoterol is used in combination with budesonide as maintenance therapy for asthma. Its rapid onset of bronchodilation makes it a more attractive choice than the combination of fluticasone/salmeterol for maintenance of patients with mild to moderate asthma, according to presenter Frank C. Hampel, Jr., MD, Director, Central Texas Health Research, New Braunfels, Texas. Dr. Hampel's findings come from 2 crossover, 4-arm studies. His team compared onset of bronchodilation between budesonide/formoterol (160 mcg/9.0 mcg), fluticasone/salmeterol (250 mcg/50 mcg), albuterol (90 mcg), and placebo in a total of 109 patients (54 patients in one study and 55 patients in the other) who were aged 18 years and older and diagnosed with mild to moderate asthma. "Formoterol was as fast acting as albuterol in achieving bronchodilation," Dr. Hampel said in a poster presentation on March 16. Mean improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) after 3 minutes were significantly greater with budesonide/formoterol and albuterol than with fluticasone/salmeterol. All 3 active treatments were more effective at opening airways than placebo. At least 15% of patients on budesonide/formoterol and at least 12% of patients on albuterol achieved FEV1 within 15 minutes of treatment. All active treatments were well tolerated, Dr. Hampel said. "This is about the difference in the beta agonist component of the combination drugs," he noted. "We're not going to see fast symptom relief with the corticosteroid component. That's more for prophylaxis, as preventative therapy." "Formoterol rapidly relieves that morning chest tightness," he noted. "With combination therapy, patients end up taking their [corticosteroid] maintenance therapy in spite of themselves. This leads to less dependence on rescue therapy." Funding for this study was provided by AstraZeneca. [Presentation title: Early Bronchodilatory Effects of Budesonide/Formoterol Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhaler (pMDI) Compared With Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI) and Albuterol pMDI in Adults With Asthma. Poster 849] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.