AstraZeneca: Symbicort is faster than Seretide

AstraZeneca has released the details of a new study investigating the onset of action in airway dilation with Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) and Seretide, the GlaxoSmithKline rival, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In addition, the drugs were compared with salbutamol with a placebo. AstraZeneca claims that its drug, Symbicort, demonstrated a similar onset of action to salbutamol and a faster onset than Seretide.

The study found that airway dilation was improved to a greater extent using Symbicort when compared to salbutamol, while being faster than Seretide. Furthermore, the maximum effect observed on inspiratory capacity was greater with Symbicort.

Professor Martyn R Partridge, faculty of medicine, Imperial College London, remarked: “Speed of onset is as important in COPD as it is in asthma, especially in the morning when patients often require a rapid onset of bronchodilatory effect.

“Rapid symptom relief from a maintenance treatment will most likely also provide improved compliance.”

“Therefore the data presented today is very interesting and adds to our understanding of the role of budesonide/formoterol in treatment of COPD,” he added.

The three measures of lung function were improved to a greater degree with the three active therapies in comparison to the placebo, although both Symbicort and Seretide were more effective than salbutamol, which has been used in the UK since 1969.

Symbicort is AstraZeneca’s second best-selling respiratory drug after Pulmicort, although it is the company’s fastest-growing respiratory drug in terms of sales.

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