Symbicort plus beta 2 agonist shows promise in COPD

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca says that a meta-data analysis of two studies of the firm's respiratory treatment Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) shows that the drug added to terbutaline significantly reduces mortality in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, compared to either formoterol or terbutaline alone.

The company has asked the Marketletter to clarify the story that was published on-line June 28, titled: Strong data for AstraZeneca's Symbicort, in which the headline was misleading. The findings were presented at the 5th International Multidisciplinary Conference on COPD, held in Birmingham in the UK.

The analysis is derived from two one-year studies of the drug that demonstrated that there were fewer deaths in the group treated with combined Symbicort and budesonide when compared with the bronchodilator treated cohort.