Study	Reason for exclusion
Aaron 2004	Irrelevant comparison
Borgstrom 2003	Healthy volunteers
Cazzola 2000	Single-blind assessment of additive benefit of inhaled fluticasone to salmeterol. Although dosage was identical to Seretide/Advair (ie FP 500ug: SAL 50mcg), treatment was administered through separate inhalers
Cazzola 2002a	Single-blind randomised crossover study comparing combination salmeterol and fluticasone with formoterol and budesonide - excluded as duration of study was too short (12 hours)
Cazzola 2003	Acute phase COPD.
Cazzola 2004	Randomised trial comparing combination salmeterol/fluticasone with separately administered fluticasone and theophylline for 4 months. Excluded as the comparison was not within the scope of the review
Cazzola 2004b	The duration of this study was too short (<1 week).
Chapman 2002	Review article.
Donohue 2004	Irrelevant comparison
Kardos 2007	Comparison of combination therapy long-acting beta-agonist
Noschese 2003	Non-randomised study.
SAM40116	Within study treatment group imbalances in dosage of steroids/combination therapy based upon historical steroid dose
SCO100470	Comparison of combination therapy long-acting beta-agonist
SCO40034	Comparison of tiotropium and combination therapy
Soriano 2002	Non-randomised retrospective survival analysis.
Sun 2004	Irrelevant comparison
Vestbo 2004	Review article.
Wouters 2005	Study excluded as it assessed the withdrawal of FP from combination therapy