New Study Demonstrates Rapid Speed Of Onset With Budesonide/formoterol In COPD

Main Category: COPD
Article Date: 06 Sep 2006 - 8:00 PDT

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New data from a study investigating the onset of action with respect to airway dilatation in budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort(R)), salmeterol/fluticasone (SeretideT), salbutamol and placebo were announced today at the European Respiratory Society 2006 Annual Congress (ERS)1. The data show that budesonide/formoterol has an onset of action that is similar to that of salbutamol and faster than that of salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with COPD.

"Speed of onset is as important in COPD as it is in asthma, especially in the morning when patients often require a rapid onset of bronchodilatory effect. Rapid symptom relief from a maintenance treatment will most likely also provide improved compliance. Therefore the data presented today is very interesting and adds to our understanding of the role of budesonide/formoterol in treatment of COPD," said Professor Martyn R. Partridge, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.

In the double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled crossover study, 88 patients were randomised to four treatments to receive either single doses of budesonide/formoterol, salmeterol/fluticasone, salbutamol or placebo in order to compare the onset of action in patients with COPD. Treatments were administered via pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDI)*. The primary endpoint was an improvement in airway dilatation measured by a change in FEV1 at 5 minutes after inhalation.

The study showed that budesonide/formoterol improved FEV1 to a greater extent than placebo and that the onset of effect with budesonide/formoterol was similar to that seen with reliever therapy salbutamol and faster than salmeterol/fluticasone. Maximal effect on Inspiratory Capacity, regarded as predictor of exercise tolerance, was greater with budesonide/formoterol as compared to salmeterol/fluticasone. Improvement in lung function parameters for all three active treatments was superior to placebo after 180 minutes, but the two combination treatments were better than the SABA alone at maintaining the improvement in FEV1.

"Speed of onset is as important in COPD as it is in asthma, especially in the morning when patients often require a rapid onset of bronchodilatory effect. The findings from the study confirm that rapid onset of action can also be exerted by maintenance therapies in COPD," concluded Martyn R. Partridge.

* Budesonide/formoterol is licensed for use in COPD patients with an FEV1<50% uncontrolled on long-acing bronchodilators, however this study was performed with a pMDI, a pharmaceutical form which is not yet approved for use in the European Union.

Reference:
1. Lindberg A, Szalai Z, Pullerits T, Radeczky E. Budesonide/formoterol has an onset of action that is similar to salbutamol and faster than salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with COPD. Abstract presented at ERS 2006.

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