GSK reports 'significant improvement' in asthma control in Salford study

A new asthma drug combination from GlaxoSmithKline has helped sufferers better control the condition in a huge study carried out around Manchester and Salford over the last twelve months.

GSK said the Salford Lung Study found patients treated with Relvar Ellipta, a combination of fluticasone furoate and vilanterol (FF/VI), had twice the odds of achieving an improvement in asthma control compared with patients who continued to take their usual medicines.

The drug company said that at 24 weeks, 71% of patients with uncontrolled asthma who were then initiated on the treatment achieved better control of their asthma, as measured by the Asthma Control Test (ACT), compared with 56% for patients continuing usual care treatment.

An improvement in control was defined as an ACT total score greater than or equal to 20 or an increase from baseline greater than or equal to 3, while statistically significant findings were also seen at 12, 40 and 52 weeks.

"Asthma control continues to be a real challenge for patients and the healthcare community. Poor control can have a major impact on the lives of asthma patients," said Ashley Woodcock, professor of respiratory medicine at the University Hospital of South Manchester and University of Manchester, and the lead investigator for the study.

"The effectiveness of different treatments on asthma control is difficult to investigate in a traditional double-blind randomised control trial, where the study design and intrusive monitoring can influence the behaviour of patients."

Eric Dube, GSK's head of global respiratory franchise, said: "Despite medical advances, more than half of patients with asthma continue to experience poor control and significant symptoms.

"The primary endpoint of this study showed that patients initiated with Relvar Ellipta treatment had twice the odds of achieving an improvement in asthma control compared with patients continuing usual care in this study in everyday clinical practice."

The study was a Phase III multi-centre, open label randomised controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety profile of initiating treatment with FF/VI with usual asthma maintenance therapy over a 52 week period.

All suitable patients with asthma at 74 primary care sites in and around Salford and South Manchester were identified from GP practice databases and invited to participate in the study by their own doctor.

The primary endpoint of the study was measured at week 24 in the primary effectiveness analysis population.

In total, 4,233 patients with asthma who were taking an inhaled corticosteroid with or without a long acting beta2-agonist were randomised to receive either FF/VI or to continue on their existing asthma maintenance therapy.