Abstract
BACKGROUND: Selection of the most appropriate device for a switch from one inhaler to an equivalent product is known to have a major impact on clinical outcomes in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (S/F) Easyhaler(®) has been demonstrated to be therapeutically equivalent with a reference product. However, no data on real-life effectiveness are currently available for patients switching to S/F Easyhaler from another S/F inhaler. METHODS: The aim of this prospective, open, multicenter, non-interventional study was to assess clinical effectiveness of propionate S/F Easyhaler in adult asthma and COPD patients switched from another inhaler. The primary endpoints were Asthma Control Test (ACT) and COPD Assessment Test (CAT). Secondary endpoints included assessments of patient satisfaction and preference and physician/nurse perception on S/F Easyhaler use. The study included three visits during a 12-week follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 211 patients (160 with asthma; 51 with COPD) were included in the analyses. In patients with asthma, there was a statistically significant increase in the mean ACT score at week 12 (20.2 ± 3.9) compared with the baseline (18.6 ± 4.1), with a mean increase of 1.6 (±3.5) points (p < 0.0001). In patients with COPD, CAT score persisted from baseline (19.9 ± 8.6) to week 12 (19.6 ± 7.0). Patients were significantly more satisfied with Easyhaler and most patients preferred Easyhaler over their previous inhaler. The physicians/nurses reported that it was 'very easy' to teach the use of Easyhaler and the training took less than 5 minutes in most cases. CONCLUSION: The results from this prospective real-life clinical study indicate better or at least similar treatment control of asthma and COPD after switching to S/F Easyhaler from another S/F inhaler. This study also shows that S/F Easyhaler was favored by the patients and that it is easy to teach, learn and use in a real-life setting.The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.