title: Fluticasone/formoterol: a new single-aerosol combination therapy for patients with asthma.
abstract: International asthma management guidelines recommend a long-acting β(2)-agonist (LABA) as add-on therapy in patients whose asthma is not controlled by low-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) monotherapy. Treatment with a single inhaler containing an ICS/LABA combination is advocated because it may facilitate adherence to a regimen. When prescribing ICS/LABA combination therapy, the potency of the ICS and the speed of onset of the LABA are considered important factors; therefore, an inhaled therapy containing components with these properties may be valued by physicians. The ICS fluticasone propionate (fluticasone) has potent and sustained anti-inflammatory effects, and the LABA formoterol fumarate (formoterol) provides rapid bronchodilation; the efficacy and safety profiles of these agents have been well established in clinical practice. Fluticasone and formoterol have been combined, for the first time, in a single hydrofluoroalkane-based aerosol (flutiform®; fluticasone propionate/formoterol fumarate). Here, we review data from the published randomized, controlled, clinical trials that demonstrate the efficacy and tolerability of this product. It has been shown that fluticasone/formoterol is more efficacious than fluticasone or formoterol given alone, and provides similar improvements in lung function to fluticasone and formoterol administered concurrently via separate inhalers. Fluticasone/formoterol has similar efficacy and tolerability profiles to budesonide/formoterol and fluticasone/salmeterol, but with the additional benefit of more rapid bronchodilation than fluticasone/salmeterol.
authors.affiliation: Mundipharma Research Ltd, Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB4 0GW, UK. Sanjeeva.Dissanayake@mundipharma-rd.eu
authors.forename: Sanjeeva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dissanayake
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grothe
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000336:Aerosols; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068298:Fluticasone; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D000336:Aerosols; D000730:Androstadienes; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D000068298:Fluticasone; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate