Severe exacerbation occurred in fewer patients receiving albuterol-budesonide versus those receiving albuterol only<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — As-needed albuterol-budesonide yields a lower risk for severe asthma exacerbation among patients with mild asthma, according to a study published online May 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine <\/em>to coincide with the American Thoracic Society 2025 International Conference, held from May 18 to 21 in San Francisco.<\/p>\n Craig LaForce, M.D., from North Carolina Clinical Research in Raleigh, and colleagues conducted a phase 3b multicenter trial involving persons aged 12 years or older with uncontrolled mild asthma despite treatment with a short-acting \u03b22<\/sub>-agonist with or without a low-dose inhaled glucocorticoid or leukotriene-receptor antagonist. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a fixed-dose combination of 180 \u03bcg of albuterol and 160 \u03bcg of budesonide or 180 \u03bcg of albuterol alone on an as-needed basis for up to 52 weeks.<\/p>\n The full analysis population included 2,421 participants: 1,209 assigned to albuterol-budesonide and 1,212 to albuterol. At a prespecified interim analysis, the trial was stopped for efficacy. The researchers found that a severe exacerbation occurred in 5.1 and 9.1 percent, respectively, of those in the albuterol-budesonide and the albuterol groups in the on-treatment efficacy population (hazard ratio, 0.53) and 5.3 and 9.4 percent, respectively, in the intention-to-treat population (hazard ratio, 0.54). A lower annualized rate of severe asthma exacerbations was seen with albuterol-budesonide versus albuterol (0.15 versus 0.32; rate ratio, 0.47); the mean annualized total dose of systemic glucocorticoids was also lower with albuterol-budesonide (23.2 versus 61.9 mg per year).<\/p>\n “The BATURA trial showed that as-needed albuterol-budesonide was efficacious in reducing the risk of severe asthma exacerbations among participants 12 years of age or older with uncontrolled disease despite treatment for mild asthma,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca and Bond Avillion 2 Development, both of which funded the study.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required<\/a><\/p>\n