Twice-daily budesonide/formoterol for asthma works better than once-daily dosing or budesonide alone

This 12-week multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled study included 521 patients aged 6 to 15 years with mild/moderate persistent asthma.

Patients stabilized during a 4-week run-in with twice-daily budesonide/formoterol pMDI 40/4.5 µg x 2 inhalations (160/18 µg daily) received:

- twice-daily budesonide/formoterol pMDI 40/4.5 µg x 2 inhalations (160/18 µg daily)

OR

- once-daily budesonide/formoterol pMDI 80/4.5 µg x 2 inhalations (160/9 µg daily; evening)

OR

- once-daily budesonide pMDI 80 µg x 2 inhalations (160 µg daily; evening).

Once-daily budesonide/formoterol demonstrated better efficacy than once-daily budesonide for most pulmonary-function variables.

Twice-daily budesonide/formoterol (160/18 µg daily) maintenance therapy was more effective than stepping down to once-daily dosing (160/9 µg daily).

References:
Once- vs Twice-Daily Budesonide/Formoterol in 6- to 15-Year-Old Patients With Stable Asthma. PEDIATRICS Vol. 126 No. 3 September 2010, pp. e565-e575 (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-2970).

Image source: Please note that the photo used to illustrate this blog post shows a dry powder inhaler (DPI) rather than a MDI. Combination formulation containing budesonide and formoterol - unopened Symbicort Turbuhaler (left) and opened (middle and right), Wikipedia, public domain.