One third of asthma sufferers say they still worry about having an attack

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 06 Sep 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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New report calls for changes in treatment approach to ease patient fears and reduce impact on everyday life.

A new report, entitled 'Time To Adjust', reveals that almost one in three asthma patients believe that their current treatment does not stop them from worrying about having an attack, suggesting a distinct lack of confidence in current therapies. The report also illustrates that the condition still places a significant impact on the everyday lives of up to 10 million patients across Europe and the growing willingness of 80% of patients to take responsibility for looking after their own condition.1

Despite over 74%1 of European patients saying they follow their doctors advice on taking medication, when symptoms worsen, over half of patients either do nothing or feel compelled to take more reliever medication, which has no effect on long-term asthma control. Taking more reliever medication consequently causes concern amongst a fifth of patients,1 and also leaves the underlying cause of the condition untreated.

Svein-Erik Myrseth, President of the European Federation of Allergies and Airways Diseases Patients Associations (EFA), commented: "We welcome this important new report as there are too many asthma patients - throughout Europe and beyond - who suffer life-threatening episodes that are, quite simply, unnecessary.

There have been many advances in the respiratory field, particularly over the last decade, but patients, physicians and health services alike remain victims of the condition. The variable nature of asthma has proven challenging to overcome.

Traditional therapies have been inflexible and have, therefore, not matched the inconsistencies seen in symptoms."

'Time To Adjust', endorsed by thought-leaders in the respiratory field, Professor Tony Bai and Professor Roland Buhl, and EFA and developed and supported by AstraZeneca, provides further highlights of a new pan-European market research programme on patient's views of asthma and outlines newer treatment methods for the management of the condition.

The research findings also show that it is well recognised by both patients and the healthcare professionals that asthma symptoms fluctuate over time and patients experience periods of good control as well as periods of worsening. Fifty six percent of asthma patients demonstrated that they perceived their condition to be a changeable one, with changes in response being due to many different factors including weather (40%), allergies (38%), exercise (14%) and infections (11%).1

Significantly, 88% of patients understand the importance of intervening early and taking treatment as soon as symptoms worsen.1 A treatment approach based on this adjustable principle, may allow patients to take control over their own symptoms. This principle has been studied in an extensive clinical trial programme.7,8,9

The results are positive in supporting this way of managing asthma.

Nearly 30 million people in Europe have asthma2 and experts supporting a recent campaign by Asthma UK estimate that 75% of asthma hospital admissions are avoidable and 90 % of asthma deaths are preventable.3

Professor Tony Bai, University of British Columbia commented: "Adjusting the maintenance dosing provides an opportunity to improve the way asthma patients take their medication because it matches patient behaviour far more closely than other forms of medication that already exist. The concept of temporarily increasing the amount of medication using just one inhaler that may prevent medical intervention with effective management driven by patients, which is in turn driven by symptoms, is an advance in the management of asthma."

SYMBICORT (budesonide/formoterol) is the only asthma medication licensed for one to eight inhalations per day, allowing patients to start therapy at two inhalations twice daily, reduce to one inhalation twice daily for periods of good control and increase the dosage to up to four inhalations twice daily, during short periods, if the condition worsens. The reason SYMBICORT is the only combination product that can be used in this adjustable manner is due to the wide range of dose response of the formoterol component.

AstraZeneca is a major international health care business engaged in the research, development manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five pharmaceuticals in the world with healthcare sales of over $18.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4 Good Index.

For more information, please visit www.astrazenecapressoffice.com

www.astrazenecapressoffice.com Notes to Editors

_ SYMBICORT(R) is indicated for the treatment of asthma and COPD

_ SYMBICORT(R) contains the inhaled corticosteroid budesonide and rapid- and long-acting beta-agonist formoterol

_ SYMBICORT(R) is the only combination treatment for asthma that allows the dose of both components to be adjusted according to disease variation, without the need to switch or add inhalers

_ Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways characterised by reversible airway obstruction. It is a variable condition that can change both daily and seasonally

Press Contacts

AstraZeneca Virgo HEALTH PR
Cecilia Svensson Neil Flash or Vicki Norgan
+46 46 33 77 72 (Direct) +44 (0) 20 8822 6707 (Direct)
+46 70 537 7772 (Mobile) +44 (0) 7958 947933 (Mobile)
cecilia.svensson@astrazeneca.com neil.flash@virgohealthpr.com
vicki.norgan@virgohealthpr.com

References

1 Time to Adjust Asthma Patient Research Programme. Omnibus Market Research conducted by Ipsos Health amongst 318 asthma patients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom between 1 July and 3 August, 2004

2 Masoli M, Fabian D, Holt S, Beasley R (2004). Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global Burden of Asthma Report

3 Living on a Knife Edge Report published by Asthma UK (www.efanet.org). May 2004

4 Aalbers R, Backer V, Kava TT et al (2004). Adjustable maintenance dosing with budesonide/formoterol compared with fixed-dose salmeterol/fluticasone in moderate to severe asthma. Curr Med Res Opin 20(2):225-40

5 Stallberg B, Ollson P, Jorgensen LA et al (2003). Budesonide/formoterol adjustable maintenance dosing reduces asthma exacerbations versus fixed dosing. Int J Clin Pract 57(8):656-61

6 FitzGerald M, Sears M, Boulet L et al (2003). Adjustable maintenance dosing with budesonide/formoterol reduces asthma exacerbations compared with fixed dosing. A 5-month multi-centre Canadian study. Can Respir J 10(8):427-34

7 Scicchitano R, Aalbers R, Ukena D et al (2004). Efficacy and safety of budesonide/formoterol single inhaler therapy versus a higher dose of budesonide in moderate to severe asthma. Curr Med Res Opin 20(9), 1403-1418 (STEP)

8 Rabe K, Pizzichini E, Stallberg B et al. Single inhaler therapy with budesonide/formoterol provides superior control compared with fixed dosing with budesonide plus terbutaline as needed. Abstract presented at the 60th American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. March 2004 (STEAM)

9 O'Byrne P, Godard P, Pistolesi M et al. Single inhaler Therapy with budesonide/formoterol improves asthma control compared with fixed dosing with budesonide/formoterol or a higher dose of budesonide alone. Abstract presented at the 14th European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress. September 2004 (STAY)

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