english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2008 > In the April issue of Prescrire International: Budesonide + formoterol, a step backwards

Spotlight: Archives

Every month, the subjects in Prescrire’s Spotlight.

2008 : 1 | 30 | 60

Spotlight

Using the budesonide + formoterol combination for both maintenance treatment of asthma and on-demand control of asthma attacks amounts to intensifying maintenance treatment.

It is not a valid treatment objective, and is likely to confuse asthma patients.

Maintenance and on demand treatment of asthma are based on the results of many clinical trials involving several hundred thousand patients. Maintenance treatment depends on asthma severity and is based on inhaled steroid monotherapy at the minimal effective dose.

Adding an inhaled long-acting beta-2 agonist does not seem to provide a tangible clinical benefit for patients .

The budesonide + formoterol combination should not be recommended for "on demand" use to control asthma attacks. It exposes patients to an added risk of adverse effects, and undermines the clear-cut message that has been found to help patients manage their asthma: the clear distinction between maintenance treatment, with an inhaled steroid at the minimal required dose, and control of attacks with a short-acting beta-2 agonist.

©Prescrire April 2008

Source: Prescrire International 2008; 17 (94): 57.

- Download this article, and see why you should subscribe today.

- More articles in Prescrire's "Spotlight"...