Beclomethasone dipropionate Easyhaler (R) is as effective as budesonide Turbohaler (R) in the control of asthma and is preferred by patients

This randomised, crossover study compared the efficacy, safety, acceptabili ty and patient preference of two multidose powder inhalers (MDPIs) - beclom ethasone dipropionate Easyhaler(R) (BDP-EH) and budesonide Turbohaler(R) (B UD-TH) - in 79 stable asthmatics who used inhaled steroids but had no exper ience of MDPIs. After eight weeks' treatment a mean increase in morning PEF of 16 l/min from a baseline of 356 +/- 112 l/min was observed for each tre atment. Similar improvements occurred in evening PEF, FEV1, FVC and asthma symptoms. Bath treatments had only minimal effect on morning serum cortisol levels. Compliance with both treatments was high (>97%) but almost twice a s many patients favoured the EH (59%) compared with the TH (33%); 7% rated the devices equally. Scores of device acceptability were significantly in f avour of the EH (p=0.001). BDP-EH and BUD-TH showed comparable efficacy and safety in the treatment of asthma. Each MDPI had a high rate of compliance , but patients registered greater preference for the EH than the TH.