Respiratory system agents

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: diagnosis and management

Early diagnosis and medicines optimisation are fundamental to ensure timely and appropriate treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and improve a patient’s quality of life.…

Personalised medicine approach could benefit people with asthma

Prescribing asthma treatment based on genetic differences could improve outcomes, results presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress have suggested.…

Novel once-daily fixed-dose ICS–LABA improves lung function over ICS monotherapy, research finds

A once-daily fixed-dose combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2-adrenoceptor agonist significantly improved lung function over inhaled corticosteroids alone, a phase III study has concluded.…

Once-daily ICS-LABA-LAMA superior to ICS-LABA in improving lung function, research suggests

A study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine indicates that ICS-LABA-LAMA once daily is better than ICS-LABA in improving lung function.…

Reducing asthma medication does not worsen outcomes but could save money, study suggests

Stepping down asthma medication does not adversely affect patient outcomes and could save millions of pounds in medicines costs, a study in PLoS Medicine has found.…

Asthma inhaler stocks low after COVID-19 linked demand spike, government says

Pharmacies are experiencing difficulties sourcing some commonly used asthma inhalers, following a surge in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Pharmaceutical Journal can reveal.…

Why we must urgently rethink prescribing short-acting bronchodilators for asthma

Guidelines from the Global Initiative for Asthma present a radical overhaul of the way we manage asthma; but our current approach isn’t working, and nothing will change if it is not challenged.…

Asthma exacerbations during pregnancy linked to birth complications

Women with asthma who experience exacerbations during pregnancy are more likely to have birth complications than women with well-controlled asthma, a study published in the European Respiratory Journal has suggested.…

Triple-therapy inhaler improves lung function in adults with asthma

Combining three therapies into one inhaler improves lung function and reduces exacerbations in adults with uncontrolled asthma, researchers have concluded in a paper published in The Lancet.…

First reusable, propellant-free inhaler launched to cut plastic waste

The first reusable, propellant-free inhaler is now available for patients with asthma and COPD, in line with NHS plans to reduce its carbon footprint and plastic waste.…