New patient satisfaction study with budesonide/formoterol combinati...( Wilmington DE May 20 2008 A new op...),Health

Wilmington, DE May 20, 2008 A new open-label study evaluated patient satisfaction with budesonide/formoterol combination therapy and fluticasone/salmeterol combination therapy, as measured by the Asthma Treatment Satisfaction Measure (ATSM).1 Patients participating in the study were ages 18 years and older with moderate to severe asthma and had been previously treated with inhaled corticosteroids.1 Results were presented today at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society held in Toronto, May 16-21, 2008.

Results showed that patients receiving budesonide/formoterol combination therapy administered as adjustable dosage reported significantly greater satisfaction on the ATSM overall (p=0.02) than patients receiving fluticasone/salmeterol combination therapy, especially in the categories of feel medication begins to work (p<0.001), dosing management (p<0.001), and timely relief of symptoms (p=0.037).1 Patients receiving budesonide/formoterol combination therapy fixed dose reported significantly greater satisfaction for timely relief of symptoms (p=0.002) and feeling the medication begin to work (p=0.02) compared to patients receiving fluticasone/salmeterol combination therapy.1 Budesonide/formoterol combination therapy is not indicated for adjustable dosing in the U.S.

These data showed that patients treated with budesonide/formoterol combination therapy fixed dose were more satisfied with the timeliness of their symptom relief than those patients treated with fluticasone/salmeterol combination therapy, said lead investigator Richard OConnor, MD, of the University of California-San Diego.

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