EQUALLY EFFICACIOUS ASTHMA MANAGEMENT WITH BUDESONIDE 800 MU-G ADMINISTERED BY TURBUHALER(R) OR WITH BECLOMETHASONE DIPROPIONATE GREATER-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-1500 MU-G GIVEN THROUGH A PRESSURIZED METERED-DOSE INHALER WITH SPACER

To avoid the side effects associated with long-term administration of high doses of inhaled glucocorticosteroids, they should be used at the lowest effective dose. This study compared the clinical efficacy of b udesonide given via a dry-powder, inspiratory flow-driven device (Turb uhaler(R)), at a daily dose of 800 mu g, with beclomethasone dipropion ate (BDP) 1500 to 2000 mu g given via pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) with spacer to adults requiring the latter dose of BDP to cont rol their asthma. The study was performed as a 2-week run-in, 8-week o pen, randomized, multicenter, parallel-group design. Adult asthmatics with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second 55% or more of predicted n ormal and receiving BDP 1500 to 2000 mu g daily entered the study. Aft er a 2-week run-in, one group continued with BDP and the other was swi tched to budesonide through the Turbuhaler(R). After 8 weeks, morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) had increased by 5.9 L/min from a mean of 3 90 L/min in the budesonide group and by 1.9 L/min from a mean of 402 L /min in the BDP group. No clinically or statistically significant diff erences between groups were evident with regard to the change in this primary variable. Similarly, only small changes in evening PEF and sec ondary variables of lung function were seen, with no statistically sig nificant difference between groups. The authors concluded that both tr eatments were equivalent in managing asthma in adult patients with sta ble asthma.