FDA Approves Symbicort for COPD
March 4, 2009
Web MD
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Symbicort, a metered-dose inhaler previously used to treat asthma, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
According to AstraZeneca, which makes Symbicort, the FDA approved Symbicort for COPD based on two clinical trials that included more than 3,600 COPD patients aged 40 and older.
Symbicort’s active ingredients are formoterol (a long-acting beta agonist) and budesonide (a corticosteroid).
In the clinical trials, COPD patients taking Symbicort had a greater improvement in their lung function, compared to patients using a placebo, formoterol, or budesonide.
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