Symbicort SMART®
Symbicort® (budesonide/formoterol) is a widely used inhaled medication for asthma and COPD (Read about Symbicort in COPD), delivered via the inhaler device – Symbicort Turbuhaler®.
In asthma, Symbicort is licensed for use as a regular maintenance therapy with a separate short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) as needed or as a maintenance and reliever therapy in one inhaler - Symbicort Maintenance And Reliever Therapy (Symbicort SMART®) [1]. Symbicort SMART combines the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid budesonide and the rapid and long-lasting bronchodilator formoterol in one combination inhaler, to provide an effective approach to managing asthma [2-8]. This approach uses the same Symbicort inhaler for both maintenance and relief and offers a simple and convenient asthma treatment.
Read more about budesonide and formoterol.
SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNTRY SYMBICORT PRODUCT INFORMATION, AS PRESCRIBING INFORMATION MAY VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY.
With Symbicort SMART, patients take a maintenance dose of Symbicort in line with normal practice to establish asthma control and take additional inhalations ‘as needed' of Symbicort if symptoms occur, to provide rapid symptom relief and increased asthma control.
With this approach, the underlying inflammation is treated with every inhalation [9], making it a more effective treatment approach than traditional therapies using a short-acting β2-agonist as needed, improving daily symptom control and reducing asthma attacks [2-7]. Read more about clinical efficacy of Symbicort. Symbicort SMART is also a simpler regimen since a separate short-acting bronchodilator is no longer needed.
Symbicort SMART treats the inflammation with every inhalation, whether used for maintenance or relief
References
- Global Initiative for Asthma. Global strategy for asthma management and prevention - updated 2008. Available at: www.ginasthma.com. Last accessed 11 December 2009.
- O'Byrne PM, Bisgaard H, Godard PP, et al. Budesonide/formoterol combination therapy as both maintenance and reliever medication in asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005;171:129-136.
- Scicchitano R, Aalbers R, Ukena D, et al. Efficacy and safety of budesonide/formoterol single inhaler therapy versus a higher dose of budesonide in moderate to severe asthma. Curr Med Res Opin 2004;20:1403-1418.
- Kuna P, Peters MJ, Manjra AI, et al. Effect of budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy on asthma exacerbations. Int J Clin Pract 2007;61:725-736.
- Bousquet J, Boulet LP, Peters MJ, et al. Budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief in uncontrolled asthma vs. high-dose salmeterol/fluticasone. Respir Med 2007;101:2437-2446.
- Rabe KF, Atienza T, Magyar P, et al. Effect of budesonide in combination with formoterol for reliever therapy in asthma exacerbations: a randomised controlled, double-blind study. Lancet 2006;368:744-753.
- Rabe KF, Pizzichini E, Stallberg B, et al. Budesonide/formoterol in a single inhaler for maintenance and relief in mild-to-moderate asthma: a randomized, double-blind trial. Chest 2006;129:246-256.
- Barnes PJ. Scientific rationale for using a single inhaler for asthma control. Eur Respir J 2007;29:587-595.
- Humbert M, Andersson TL, Buhl R. Budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and reliever therapy in the management of moderate to severe asthma. Allergy 2008;63:1567-1580.
