Advair is the trade name for an inhaled prescription medication containing fluticasone and salmeterol. Fluticasone is a potent corticosteroid drug, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in the airways. Salmeterol is a long-acting, beta-adrenergic agonist, which causes relaxation and dilation of the airways. In 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Advair for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung condition characterized by airway inflammation and a propensity for sudden airway constriction, or bronchospasm. The two medications in Advair separately address these lung problems. The anti-inflammatory properties of fluticasone help control asthma-related airway inflammation. Salmeterol helps prevent bronchospasms. Although Advair works well for many asthmatic patients, concerns about the safety of Advair and other long-acting, beta-adrenergic agonist medications prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue new safety requirements in February 2010 for use of these drugs in asthmatics.
Advair remains FDA-approved for the second-line treatment of asthma in patients age 4 and older. In accordance with the 2010 FDA safety requirements, the prescribing information for Advair notes that the medication should be used only if other forms of asthma treatment fail to control the patient's asthma symptoms. Additionally, Advair is contraindicated in children and adults with worsening asthma symptoms.
Advair carries a black box warning---mandated by the FDA---stating that the use of long-acting, beta-adrenergic agonist medications, including salmeterol, increase the risk of death from asthma. The warning further states that children and adolescents treated with long-acting, beta-adrenergic agonist medications have an increased risk for severe asthma attacks requiring hospitalization.
The 2010 FDA-approved prescribing information for Advair recommends discontinuing the medication, if possible, once control of asthma symptoms has been achieved. The information further notes that patients using Advair should carry a rescue inhaler for acute asthma symptoms because the medication does not relieve sudden bronchospasms.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is one of the two forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Patients with chronic bronchitis have extensive airway damage and swelling caused by chronic inflammation. The condition most commonly occurs in people with a long-standing history of cigarette smoking. Advair is FDA approved for the first-line treatment of obstructive and inflammation-related airway symptoms in people with chronic bronchitis, reports the pharmaceutical information website Drugs.com. Prevention of acute episodes of worsening chronic bronchitis symptoms is another FDA-approved indication for the use of Advair.
Emphysema
Emphysema is a form of COPD, which often occurs along with chronic bronchitis. Similar to chronic bronchitis, the airways of people with emphysema exhibit signs of chronic inflammation and obstruction. Advair is FDA-approved as a first-line treatment to help relieve the airway symptoms and breathing difficulties caused by emphysema.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Advair Prescribing Information
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA Drug Safety Communication: New Safety Requirements for Long-Acting Inhaled Asthma Medications Called Long-Acting Beta-Agonists (LABAs)
- PubMed Health: Fluticasone and Salmeterol Oral Inhalation
- Drugs: Advair
- Drugs: Advair Diskus
