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news.Novartis Phase III Insist study evaluating Onbrez Breezhaler (indacaterol) has shown that the drug given once-daily is significantly better at improving lung function and reducing breathlessness than twice-daily salmeterol, a treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Patients with COPD using the new Onbrez Breezhaler were also able to reduce their use of rescue medication compared to those using salmeterol, a widely prescribed drug in the long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) class.
Data from the 12-week, randomised, double-blind, head-to-head Insist study involving patients with moderate-to-severe COPD showed that Onbrez Breezhaler 150 µg once-daily provided superior 24-hour bronchodilation to salmeterol 50µg twice-daily at the end of 12 weeks’ treatment.
The study met its primary endpoint with Onbrez Breezhaler giving superior bronchodilation to salmeterol at week 12.
Additionally, Onbrez Breezhaler significantly increased the proportion of patients with a reduction in breathlessness compared to salmeterol and the number of days on which patients did not require rescue medication.
Mainz University Hospital in Germany Pulmonary Department Stephanie Korn said that patients with COPD require treatment that combines a sustained improvement in lung function with better clinical outcomes.
“The results of Insist confirm that indacaterol is potentially an attractive maintenance treatment option for these patients,” Korn said.
Onbrez Breezhaler is approved in more than 40 countries including the EU, Switzerland, Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, and a number of countries in Latin America.