Asthma

Smart Inhalers have been around for awhile, but have been consigned to use primarily in clinical trials. One company is bringing them to the OTC market.

Several new devices for the administration of inhaled medications have been introduced.

Novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and phenotype-guided treatments are available and clinicians are using them to help patients with severe asthma.

Current treatment options for patients living with asthma include long acting beta-agonists and inhaled corticoid steroids (ICS). While these therapeutic options are effective in a majority of patients, approximately 10% will remain poorly controlled.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder are chronic health conditions that need to be properly diagnosed to be managed effectively.

More smart inhalers are coming to the US market and pharmacists may see them soon.

Personalized inpatient assessments prior to prescribing asthma therapy to pediatric patients can improve the accuracy and quality of care.

An international team of respiratory disease specialists looked back at 2017 and assembled a review of the current approaches to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Biologic drug demonstrates efficacy in moderate-to-severe asthma.

Sanofi recently announced that the FDA has accepted the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) of dupilumab (Dupixent) for the maintenance treatment of asthma.

In comparing environmental intervention costs with those of health care utilization, costs are reduced further with environmental intervention.

QVAR RediHaler is now commercially available to patients by prescription in 40 mcg and 80 mcg strengths.

A new tool that can measure cell strength 100 times faster than current methods may optimize drug development for several diseases.

Up to 80% of women experience gastro-esophageal reflux disease during pregnancy.

Tiotropiumis is an inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator approved by the FDA for long-term use in patients with asthma and COPD.

The gasdermin B gene may increase cell death and inflammation in the airways associated with asthma.

Children with asthma who receive a combination of telemedicine support and school-based medication therapy may be less likely to need an asthma-related emergency room or hospital visit.

Excess weight may exacerbate asthma symptoms without affecting the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids.

Top articles of the week from The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits.

The results of all trials showed that the use of LABA with ICS does not significantly increase the risk of serious asthma outcomes compared to ICS alone.

A combination of long-acting beta agonists and inhaled corticosteroids may not increase mortality risk for patients with asthma.

Glycopyrrolate inhalation solution is the first nebulized long-acting muscarinic antagonist for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hay fever and asthma are dependent on allergens that stimulate the immunoglobulin E pathway, which is not the case with atopic dermatitis.

Between 10% and 20% of students in kindergarten through high school have chronic illness.

An infant’s sex-specific gut microbiome following maternal asthma during pregnancy may influence their risk of developing childhood asthma.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—irreversible—requires long-term adherence to pharmacotherapies for best outcomes.

Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that causes natural killer immune cells to reduce eosinophils.

Benralizumab (Fasenra) demonstrates the ability to significantly deplete eosinophils and could reduce the need for oral steroid use.

The same genes may influence asthma, hay fever, and eczema risk.

Officials with the FDA have approved benralizumab (Fasenra, AstraZeneca) for the add-on maintenance treatment of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma aged 12 years and older.