A new study released shows that children aged 4-11 years old treated with Seretide (salmeterol/fluticasone proprionate combination) can achieve significant improvements in asthma control compared to that achieved with the standard treatment of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Data from the study, which was presented at the Congress of Paediatric Pulmonology, in Lisbon, Portugal, shows that switching from inhaled corticosteroids to Seretide can result in:

Improved lung function (clinically significant 18 per cent increase in peakflow)
Increased symptom-free nights (from 50 per cent to 92 per cent)
Increased symptom-free days (from 29 per cent to 85 per cent)
Investigators examined differences in asthma control in the 12-week study of 428 children who were experiencing asthma symptoms despite receiving inhaled corticosteroid treatment. The children were switched to salmeterol/fluticasone proprionate combination, administered either by CFC-free metered dose inhaler (MDI) (n=215), or Seretide Diskus/Accuhaler (n=213). Measures of asthma control in the clinic and on patient diary cards were used to assess the two delivery systems. The study was a double blinded, randomised trial conducted with ethical approval in Europe.

"These results show that a switch from ICS to combination therapy can provide clear benefits in terms of both symptoms and peak flow," said Dr Kevin Gruffydd-Jones, a study investigator and GP from Wiltshire and a member of the General Practice Airways Group (GPIAG). "The improvement in children's night-time symptoms will be particularly welcome for the whole family, and the 18 per cent increase in peak flow which equates to around 40 litres/minute, which can make a real difference to a child's experience of having asthma."

He added; "Treating children with asthma is often complicated as we have to balance treatment efficacy, safety and compliance. This study has shown how changing a treatment strategy can impact on a number of aspects of the asthma control, without compromising either safety or raising any potential compliance issues. It is also essential, with any on-going asthma therapy, that communication between the doctor and patient is as open as possible, and although it is important that medications are efficacious, it is just as important that children are able to use the delivery device effectively."

"The study looked at children aged 4-11 years, and found that the improvements in peak flow and overall asthma control are consistent across the age groups for both MDI and Diskus with a similar adverse events profile between both delivery systems. In addition, children as young as four years old are able to use both the devices equally effectively;" said Dr Gruffydd-Jones. "The use of Seretide in treating adult asthma is much more established and I think that this study provides new data that will support those doctors who are finding the use of this treatment in children effective."

The release of data from this study, which shows equivalence between the two delivery systems, follows the approval in February of the Seretide MDI in Europe for children from 4 years of age. This approval provides physicians with a choice of inhaler devices, enabling them to match asthma treatment to a child's needs.

Asthma prevalence in children has risen by 200% within the last 25 years, and has a wide variation around the world.