NEW FINDINGS SHOW IMPROVED ASTHMA CONTROL WITH PULMICORT ® AND OXIS ®

Using Oxis Turbuhaler ® (formoterol), Astra's new long-acting bronchodilator together with the inhaled corticosteroid Pulmicort Turbuhaler ® (budesonide) provides an increased level of asthma control, decreasing the number of mild and severe asthma exacerbations by two-thirds. These were the key findings from a new study, (FACET - Formoterol And Corticosteroid Establishing Therapy), published in the November 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The FACET study investigated the effects of adding regular inhaled formoterol to a low and high dose of the inhaled corticosteroid budesonide on asthma exacerbation rates, symptoms and lung function over one year. FACET involved 852 patients in nine countries.

"By using both of these drugs, people with asthma can take better control of their disease and help to reduce the number of asthma attacks they experience, the number of night time awakenings, and their use of rescue medicine, and therefore improve their quality of life," said Professor Romain Pauwels, Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium, and principle author of the FACET study.

"This is the first time that such a reduction in severe exacerbations has been shown which is of major importance to how doctors manage asthma", he added. Oxis Turbuhaler has so far been launched in about ten countries, including Germany, Sweden and the UK. Pulmicort is Europe's largest selling asthma product.

Reference: Pauwels RA et al. Additive effects of inhaled formoterol and Budesonide in reducing asthma exacerbations: a one year, controlled study. Pauwels RA et al, NEJM 1997;337 (20), 1405-1411.