scholarly journals Pharmacotherapies for COPD

Author(s):  
Stan Ejiofor ◽  
Alice M. Turner

This review article summarizes the main treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, their mechanisms, and the key evidence from trials supporting their use. Drug classes covered were short acting beta agonists (SABA), short acting muscarinic antagonists (SAMA), long acting beta agonists (LABA), long acting antimuscarinics (LAMA), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), LABA/ ICS combinations, specific phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitors, non-specific PDE inhibitors, mucolytics, and oxygen. Non-specific therapies, such as opiates for relief of dyspnoea and therapies for smoking cessation, are also covered briefly. For each class of drug, mechanisms of action are described, key clinical trial results are reported, and available agents compared. Finally, the place of each drug in therapy is compared between current worldwide guidelines.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Machado Alba

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 174 million people worldwide.The objective was to determine the trends of the use of medications for COPD in a group of Colombian patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study on prescription patterns of bronchodilators and other medications used in COPD from a population database with follow-up at 12 and 24 months. Patients older than 18 years of age of any sex who had COPD between 2017 and 2019 were included. Sociodemographic variables, medications, treatment schedules for COPD, comorbidities, comedications, and the specialty of the prescriber were considered. Results: A total of 9,476 people with a diagnosis of COPD were evaluated. They had a mean age of 75.9 ± 10.7 years, 50.1% were men, and 86.8% were prescribed by a general practitioner. At the beginning of the follow-up, on average, they received 1.6 medications/patient, mainly short-acting antimuscarinics (3784; 39.9%), followed by short-acting β-agonists (2997, 31.6%) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (2239, 23.6%), but 5083 (53.6%) patients received a long-acting bronchodilator. At the beginning of the follow-up, 645 (6.8%) patients were put on triple therapy with antimuscarinics, β-agonists, and ICS, and at 12 months, this rose to 1388 (20.6%). A total of 57.9% had comorbidities, most often hypertension (44.4%). Conclusions: This group of patients with COPD treated in Colombia frequently received short-acting bronchodilators and ICS, but a growing proportion are undergoing controlled therapy with long-acting bronchodilators, a situation that can improve the indicators of morbidity, exacerbations, and hospitalization.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balazs Antus

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In addition to generating high healthcare costs, COPD imposes a significant burden in terms of disability and impaired quality of life. Unlike many leading causes of death and disability, COPD is projected to increase in many regions of the world as the frequency of smoking is rising and the population is aging. The pharmacological treatment of COPD includes bronchodilators to relax smooth muscle, such as β2-agonists (salbutamol, terbutaline, and fenoterol, short-acting β2-agonists as well as salmeterol, formoterol, and indacaterol, and long-acting β2-agonists) and anticholinergics, such as ipratropium, oxitropium (short-acting anticholinergic), and tiotropium (long-acting anticholinergic). Although airway inflammation in COPD poorly responds to steroids, several inhaled corticosteroids (fluticasone, budesonide, and beclomethasone) are in use in combination with long-acting β2-agonists. Other medications include theophylline (both a bronchodilator and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) and the phosphodiesterase-4 antagonists, such as roflumilast. Finally, a number of novel long-acting anticholinergics and β2-agonists with once- or twice-daily profiles are in development and clinical testing.


2021 ◽  
pp. 91-99
Author(s):  
K. A. Zykov ◽  
V. V. Vikentyev ◽  
I. V. Goloborodova ◽  
I. I. Kopchenov ◽  
O. V. Bondarec ◽  
...  

Inhaled short-acting bronchodilators (beta-agonists and M-anticholinergics) have been used for a long time in patients with bronchoobstructive diseases, the main representatives of which are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma (BA). Given the fact that most patients with COPD and BA are treated with long-acting bronchodilators, the question arises about the place of short-acting drugs in modern treatment algorithms for bronchoobstructive pathology. The data on how many patients take short-acting beta-agonists and M- anticholinergics in real-life clinical practice, and how appropriate it is to use these drugs on top of prolonged drugs are provided. The Russian part of the international POPE-study analyzed the characteristics of outpatients with COPD. It was found that the vast majority of patients have short-acting bronchodilators as part of their therapy, and more than 50% of patients receive a combination of SABA and SAAC, and in most cases this is represented by a combination of fenoterol + ipratropium. Taking into account that the majority of patients with COPD and asthma receive prolonged bronchodilators, important from a practical point of view is the question of the effectiveness of short-acting drugs on the background of prolonged ones. The article discusses these aspects of therapy and provides evidence that the use of SABA and SAAC provides an opportunity to achieve additional bronchodilatation when used against the background of prolonged bronchodilators. Thus, symptomatic use of SABA and SAAC on demand in bronchoobstructive pathology have sufficient justification even in the presence of a combination of prolonged bronchodilators in patient therapy. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the increased probability of side effects with such drug regimen. The article also discusses the issues of different types of inhalation devices for short-acting bronchodilators (nebulizers and metered-dose aerosol inhalers), provides data on their comparative effectiveness and safety. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Donald P. Tashkin ◽  
Jill A. Ohar ◽  
Arkady Koltun ◽  
Richard Allan ◽  
Jonathan K. Ward

Both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inflammatory chronic respiratory conditions with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The objectives of this review are to briefly describe the pathophysiology and epidemiology of asthma and COPD, discuss guideline recommendations for uncontrolled disease, and review a new generic option for the treatment of asthma and COPD. Although mild forms of these diseases may be controlled with as-needed pharmacotherapy, uncontrolled or persistent asthma and moderate or severe COPD uncontrolled by bronchodilators with elevated eosinophilia or frequent exacerbations may require intervention with combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABAs), according to international guidelines. Fixed-dose combinations of ICS/LABA are commonly prescribed for both conditions, with fluticasone propionate (FP) and salmeterol forming a cornerstone of many treatment plans. An oral inhalation powder containing the combination of FP and salmeterol has been available as Advair Diskus® in the United States for almost 20 years, and the first and only substitutable generic version of this product has recently been approved for use: Wixela™ Inhub™. Bioequivalence of Wixela Inhub and Advair Diskus has been established. Furthermore, the Inhub inhaler was shown to be robust and easy to use, suggesting that Wixela Inhub may provide an alternative option to Advair Diskus for patients with asthma or COPD requiring intervention with an ICS/LABA.


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