GSK’s Advair ‘doesn’t reduce COPD exacerbations’

A recently published study has claimed that Advair, the best selling drug from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), does not reduce exacerbations in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Research presented in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal claimed that while administration of Advair in combination with Spiriva from Boehringer Ingelheim improved lung function and quality of life in patients, it did not reduce flare-ups of the condition.

Company spokesman Philip Thomson commented that statistical significance for the primary endpoint of reducing exacerbations of symptoms of COPD was not achieved in this medical test as a result of the low patient numbers involved, Reuters reports.

“The study clearly shows that in this group of COPD patients, additional benefits can be achieved in patients with moderate to severe COPD with a combination of Advair and trotropium compared to treatment with tiotropium alone,” he said.

In November 2006, GSK published the results of an observational study of asthma patients administered with Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder).

The data revealed that patients treated with Avdair Diskus exhibited a significant reduction in the risk of visits to emergency departments as a result of their condition compared to those treated solely with fluticasone propionate.