NIH Radio
Possible Alternate Therapy for Adults with Poorly Controlled Asthma
Brief Description:
A drug commonly used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Tiotropium, successfully treats adults whose asthma is not well-controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids, reported researchers supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Transcript:
Akinso: A drug commonly used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, successfully treats adults whose asthma is not well-controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids according to a study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Gail Weinmann, deputy director of the Division of Lung Diseases at the NHLBI, explains how an existing drug has new potential.
Weinmann: This study shows that this drug tiotropium, which is the drug that’s already been approved for use in COPD, may provide another option for patients with asthma in controlling and preventing asthma symptoms.
Akinso: Conducted by the NHLBI's Asthma Clinical Research Network, the study compared three treatment methods.
Weinmann: This study compared three treatments added to inhale corticosteroids for control of asthma. The three treatments added to the inhaled corticosteroids were: doubling the doses of inhaled corticosteroids, adding inhaled tiotropium, or, adding long acting beta agonist all of the patients received all three add-on treatments. The study found that tiotropium was superior to doubling the dose of the inhaled corticosteroids and controlling asthma. And tiotropium was as good as adding long-acting beta-agonist.
Akinso: The results of the study have been published online in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society in Barcelona.
Weinmann: We hope that this study provides proof of principal to further evaluate the role of tiotropium in the management of asthma.
Akinso: Dr. Weinmann says the Asthma Clinical Research Network is designed to address exactly these kinds of practical and important management questions, with the ultimate goal of helping asthma patients. For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland.
About This Audio Report
Date: 10/05/2010
Reporter: Wally Akinso
Sound Bite: Dr. Gail Weinmann
Topic: ichronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, Asthma
Institute(s):
NHLBI
Additional Info: Possible alternate therapy for adults with poorly controlled asthma
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