November 30, 2017
Asthma drug offers hope
Asthma researchers hope a new generation drug will help the fight against the condition.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world, particularly among Maori, with it affecting about one in five children.
Pharmac is now fully funding Breo, which includes both a long acting reliever to address the tightness of breath and a preventer to suppress the underlying infection.
University of Otago Associate Professor Jim Reid says research shows a single daily dose is almost twice as effective as normal treatments, which require using an inhaler twice a day.
"It is not meant for mild asthma. it is meant for moderate to severe asthma, but if the patient is having difficulty with compliance, with remembering to take their medication, then it is certainly worthwhile for the doctor to consider Breo," he says.
Dr Reid says it’s important to prevent asthma symptoms from occurring, rather than just try to control them when people have an episode.
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