RESEARCH ARTICLE
New Pharmacologic Perspectives in Pneumology: Beclomethasone-Formoterol Extrafine
Pierluigi Paggiaro*
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2009Volume: 3
First Page: 38
Last Page: 42
Publisher ID: TORMJ-3-38
DOI: 10.2174/1874306400903010038
Article History:
Received Date: 14/1/2009Revision Received Date: 19/1/2009
Acceptance Date: 20/2/2009
Electronic publication date: 12/3/2009
Collection year: 2009
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
International asthma guidelines have recently focused on the concept of «control», which is the main outcome to reach and maintain in the long term management. Asthma control is associated with several positive consequences, both in terms of quality of life and pathophysiological findings. Combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting-beta2-agonists (LABA) is recommended in a large part of asthmatic subjects (those who are not controlled with low-dose ICS alone).
Recently, a new beclomethasone/formoterol combination in an extrafine HFA formulation has been developed. This new technology allows to obtain a very high fine particle fraction which reaches lower airways, while the dose which remain in the upper airways and possibly responsible for systemic side effects is very low. Therefore, this combination allows a different dose ratio between BDP and the other ICS (budesonide, fluticasone), in favour of a lower dose of BDP. Recent studies have demonstrated the equivalence of this new combination with the other ICS/LABA combination, as regards all asthma outcomes. Then, this new BDP/formoterol combination may increase the possibility to manage adequately patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.
