Astellas, AstraZeneca To Launch Symbicort Turbuhaler In Japan

Symbicort Turbuhaler is a twice-daily treatment for adult bronchial asthma combining budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid (one dose containing 160µg) and formoterol fumarate dihydrate, a rapid and long acting ß2 agonist (one dose containing 4.5µg). The product is administered by an inhaler (Turbuhaler).

The company claims that the product alone shows good efficacy in countering both of the causes of bronchial asthma, airway inflammation and airway narrowing. By administering two medications in one product, in addition to the convenience for controlling bronchial asthma, due to the fast onset of bronchial dilation effect of formoterol, patients can easily feel the effect of the treatment. As a result, improvement in adherence can be expected.

Symbicort Turbuhaler was listed as a new option for long-term maintenance treatment on ‘Asthma Prevention and Management Guideline 2009, Japan’, which was revised in October 2009. The guideline recommends that Symbicort Turbuhaler can be used for the treatment from step 2 to step 4 as the combination therapy combining an inhaled corticosteroid and a rapid and long-acting ß2 agonist.

Symbicort Turbuhaler was first approved in Europe in 2000, and is now approved in more than 100 countries and regions. The product will be manufactured and developed by AstraZeneca and distributed and sold by Astellas, while promotion will be jointly carried out by both companies.