The randomized study of 797 patients was a replicate study which found that after a year of treatment, patients treated with Advair Diskus 250/50 had a 30% reduction in the rate of annual exacerbations compared to salmeterol (p<0.001). In an analysis of time to first moderate/severe exacerbation, there was a 25% reduction in risk with Advair compared to salmeterol (p=0.003). And Advair also reduced the annual rate of exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids by 40% (p<0.001). Antonio Anzueto, managing director of University of Texas Health Science Center, said: "Reducing exacerbations is one of the primary goals of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment, and this second study presented shows convincingly that Advair effectively addresses this pressing need. This data reaffirms my belief in Advair as an effective treatment for my patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)."