Details of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that patients with COPD who took Advair Diskus 500/50 (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) reduced their risk of death by 17.5% over three years compared to patients on placebo.
COPD is a debilitating and progressive lung disease which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In the US, COPD kills more people each year than breast and lung cancer combined. This latest trial is the first study to investigate if medication can affect survival in patients with COPD. Currently, the only interventions proven to increase the rate of survival in patients with COPD are smoking cessation, oxygen therapy and lung volume reduction surgery.
The study demonstrated that treatment with Advair significantly reduced the frequency of COPD-related exacerbations – defined as the worsening of symptoms requiring systemic steroids, antibiotics, or hospitalizations – by 25%. Improvements in quality of life in patients taking Advair were also seen.
Additionally, the study demonstrated that patients taking Advair experienced significantly improved lung function over three years as measured by spirometry. Improving survival, reducing exacerbations and improving lung function are all primary goals in the management of patients with COPD.
“I view these results as extremely meaningful because the findings in the study consistently pointed to better outcomes for patients with this life-threatening disease,” said study investigator Dr Bartolome Celli, professor of medicine at Tufts University. “Helping patients with COPD live longer and live better are the priorities of disease management and what all doctors hope to offer.”