Safety of Long-Acting Beta-Agonists — An Urgent Need to Clear the Air

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Abstract
Eleven years after the first long-acting beta-agonist, salmeterol, was approved for sale in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a stern public health advisory alerting “health care professionals and patients that these medicines may increase the chance of severe asthma episodes, and death when those episodes occur” (www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/LABA.htm). The announcement followed a July 2005 meeting of an FDA advisory committee on this topic. What are the consequences of this advisory for the treatment of asthma?Currently, inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for the symptoms of persistent asthma. However, in patients with severe disease, . . .