BACKGROUND

The combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting β-agonist (LABA) (ICS/LABA) has shown superiority in improving lung function (FEV) compared with an ICS alone. The clinical effect of a ICS/LABA combination depends on the fine-particle fraction and the pulmonary deposition.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to compare the efficacy of 2 combinations of an ICS and LABA, namely, fluticasone propionate (FP) and formoterol (FORM) (FP/FORM) and fluticasone furoate (FF) and vilanterol (VI) (FF/VI), in asthmatic adolescents with chronic bronchial obstruction.

METHODS

FP/FORM (125 μg/5 μg, 2 doses twice daily via the k-haler [Mundipharma, Cambridge, UK]) and FF/VI (92 μg/22 μg, once daily via the Ellipta inhaler [GlaxoSmithKline]) were administered to adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who required regular antiasthmatic medication and had a ratio of FEV to forced vital capacity (FEV/FVC) less than -1.65 SD in a 2-sequence, 16-week crossover trial. The primary efficacy end point was change in FEV compared with baseline. Secondary end points were FEV/FVC ratio, maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the FVC, impulse oscillometry indices respiratory resistance at 5 Hz (R5), difference between R5 and respiratory resistance at 20 Hz (R20), area of reactance, and Asthma Control Test score.

RESULTS

Both ICS/LABA combinations resulted in a significant improvement in FEV and maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the FVC scores without any significant difference between FP/FORM and FF/VI, with 40% of patients with either treatment achieving a normal prebronchodilator FEV/FVC score. Neither area of reactance nor difference between R5 and R20 improved significantly with either treatment.

CONCLUSION

Both ICS/LABA combinations demonstrated significant improvements in FEV score. More than one-third of the asthmatic adolescents with prolonged bronchial obstruction achieved a normal prebronchodilator FEV/FVC ratio.