Novartis study underlines benefits of Ultibro Breezhaler for COPD

Novartis has announced the publication of new clinical data showing the benefits its Ultibro Breezhaler therapy can provide in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The head-to-head FLAME study compared the performance of Novartis' indacaterol/glycopyrronium bromide therapy to an established alternative in terms of its ability to reduce rates of COPD exacerbations.

In addition to meeting the primary endpoint of non-inferiority, the findings demonstrated the superiority of Ultibro Breezhaler over the widely used inhaled corticosteroid alternative in terms of exacerbation outcomes.

Results from the study have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as being presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

Vasant Narasimhan, global head drug development and chief medical officer for Novartis, said: "The FLAME study has clearly shown that Ultibro Breezhaler is superior to the current standard of care in reducing exacerbations, marking a shift away from therapies containing steroids for the optimal treatment of COPD patients."

The FLAME trial involved 3,362 COPD patients and was conducted at 356 sites across 43 countries.