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Efficacy and safety of high‐dose budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort ® ) compared with budesonide administered either concomitantly with formoterol or alone in patients with persistent symptomatic asthma
Author(s) -
JENKINS Christine,
KOLARIKOVA Renata,
KUNA Piotr,
CAILLAUD Denis,
SANCHIS Joaquin,
POPP Wolfgang,
PETTERSSON Eva
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2006.00856.x
Subject(s) - budesonide , formoterol , medicine , budesonide/formoterol , formoterol fumarate , corticosteroid , adverse effect , anesthesia
Objective and background: Budesonide/formoterol 160/4.5 µg, two inhalations bd, is an effective and well‐tolerated maintenance therapy for patients not controlled on inhaled corticosteroids alone. The authors assessed the efficacy and safety of a higher dose of budesonide/formoterol in patients with persistent symptomatic asthma. Methods: This was a 24‐week, double‐blind, double‐dummy randomized study. Budesonide/formoterol 320/9 µg, two inhalations bd (1280/36 µg/day), was compared with corresponding doses of budesonide during weeks 1–12 and budesonide plus formoterol via separate inhalers during weeks 1–24. Efficacy was assessed during weeks 1–12; the primary variable was morning PEF. Safety was assessed over weeks 1–24. Results: Patients ( n = 456; aged 12–79 years) had a mean reversibility in FEV 1 of 28% and mean pre‐study inhaled corticosteroid dose of 1038 µg/day. Mean morning PEF increased by 37 L/min and 36 L/min with budesonide/formoterol and budesonide plus formoterol, respectively, versus an increase of 5 L/min with budesonide ( P < 0.001 for both vs. budesonide). Budesonide/formoterol increased time to first mild exacerbation ( P < 0.005) versus budesonide. Budesonide/formoterol and budesonide plus formoterol had similar efficacy. All treatments were well tolerated and the incidence of class‐related adverse events was similarly low in all groups. Changes in serum potassium and plasma cortisol were comparable across treatments. Conclusions: High‐dose budesonide/formoterol (320/9 µg, two inhalations bd) is effective and well tolerated in patients with persistent symptomatic asthma. The findings also support the safety of regular high‐dose formoterol (36 µg/day).