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Differences in the pharmacodynamics of budesonide/formoterol and salmeterol/fluticasone reflect differences in their therapeutic usefulness in asthma

AstraZeneca R&D, Lund, Sweden

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

Although the available inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting ₂-agonist (LABA) combinations principally work in a similar fashion, they differ in several important ways, leading to different efficacy. The ICS/LABA combination product budesonide/formoterol can be used as both maintenance and reliever therapy, providing a fixed maintenance dose, which does not change, and replacing short-acting ₂-agonists as relievers thereby allowing intervention to address the underlying inflammation at the earliest sign of symptomatic worsening. This approach is not suitable for other combination products such as salmeterol/fluticasone. Here we review the pharmacological differences of budesonide/formoterol and salmeterol/fluticasone that permit the use of budesonide/formoterol as both maintenance and reliever therapy.

Key Words: budesonide/formoterol, salmeterol/fluticasone, asthma, maintenance and reliever therapy, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, exacerbations

First published on September 18, 2008, doi:10.1177/1753465808096135

Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease 2008;2:279.

A more recent version of this article appeared on October 1, 2008


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