title: Comparing the efficacy and safety of salmeterol/fluticasone pMDI versus its mono-components, other LABA/ICS pMDIs and salmeterol/fluticasone Diskus in patients with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are evolving to be a very effective drug delivery option in patients with airway diseases. They offer comparable lung deposition and reduced oropharyngeal deposition similar with the dry powder inhalers. As recommended by the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, the ideal maintenance treatment for asthma is a combination of long acting β2-agonists (LABAs) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). One of the available LABA/ICS combinations is the salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination (SFC) and a plethora of evidence supports its clinical efficacy and safety.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article focuses on the SFC hydrofluroalkane pMDI and compares the efficacy and tolerability with salmeterol and fluticasone given individually, and with other fixed-dose combinations namely formoterol/fluticasone, formoterol/beclometasone and formoterol/mometasone furoate, all delivered via pMDI. Also discussed is the efficacy and tolerability of the SFC delivered via a pMDI, as compared to the SFC via Diskus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pMDIs play an important role in inhalation therapy given the low price, low maintenance and convenience of use. LABA/ICS combinations are the preferred choice of medication for asthma treatment and will remain the mainstay for the decades to come. In our opinion, pMDI should be the choice of device to administer LABA/ICS maintenance therapy, as it is already being used by the patients for reliever therapy, which may eventually improve patient adherence and compliance.
authors.affiliation: Medical Services, Cipla Ltd. , Mumbai , India +91 22 2482 6292 ; bhumikaaggarwal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nimit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Bhumika
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Jaideep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gogtay
authors.forename: Sabeer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdool-Gaffar
mesh_terms: D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D058995:Dry Powder Inhalers; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068297:Fluticasone-Salmeterol Drug Combination; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D036501:Metered Dose Inhalers; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D011244:Pregnadienediols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D000068297:Fluticasone-Salmeterol Drug Combination; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011244:Pregnadienediols; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D001507:Beclomethasone; D000420:Albuterol; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate
keywords: asthma; hydrofluroalkane; pressurized metered dose inhaler; salmeterol/fluticasone