| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Adinoff 1998 | Not randomised to ICS |
| Adolfsson 2005 | Dose‐response study |
| Bateman 1998 | Device comparison |
| Bateman 2006 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Bateman 2011 | ICS was not a randomised treatment |
| Baumgarten 2002 | 4‐week study |
| Bergmann 2004 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Bjermer 2000 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Bjermer 2003 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Bleecker 2006 | Salmeterol vs salmeterol/fluticasone |
| Bleecker 2007 | Review |
| Bleecker 2008 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Bracamonte 2005 | Device comparison |
| Busse 2006 | Cross‐over study |
| Calhoun 2001 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Chapman 1999 | Device comparison |
| Condemi 1999 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Cook 1998 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| D'Urzo 2001 | 6‐week duration |
| Del 2001 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Deykin 2007 | Comparison between different combined inhalers |
| Didier 1997 | No ICS control arm |
| Dorinsky 2004 | Comparison between different combined inhalers |
| Faurschou 1994 | 3‐week cross‐over study |
| Fish 2001 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Fujimoto 2006 | Salmeterol vs tulobuterol |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2004 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2005a | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2005b | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2005c | Device comparison |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2005d | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| GlaxoSmithKline 2005e | Cross‐over study |
| Greening 1994 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Grutters 1999 | 8‐week duration |
| House 2004 | 2‐week duration |
| Ilowite 2004 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Isabelle 2001 | Device comparison |
| Jarjour 2006 | FSC compared to higher‐dose FP |
| Johansson 2001 | Different ICS in control arm |
| Juniper 2002 | Different ICS in control arm |
| Kelsen 1999 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Kerstjens 2015 | ICS was not a randomised treatment |
| Koopmans 2005 | Single‐dose study |
| Lazarus 2001 | Not randomised to ICS |
| Lemanske 2001 | Not randomised to ICS |
| Lotvall 2006 | Single‐dose study |
| Lotvall 2014 | ICS was not a randomised treatment |
| Lundback 2000 | Different ICS in control arm |
| Martinat 2003 | Device comparison |
| Murray 1999 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Nan 2004 | Different ICS in control arm |
| Nathan 2001 | Review of SAS30003 and SAS30004 |
| NCT01172808 | ICS was not a randomised treatment |
| NCT01172821 | ICS was not a randomised treatment |
| Nelson 2000 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Nelson 2001 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| O'Byrne 2005 | Different ICS in control arm |
| O'Connor 2004 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Pauwels 1998 | Different ICS in control arm and salmeterol given in both groups |
| Pearlman 1999 | 4‐week study |
| Peters 2007 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Reddel 2010 | Down‐titration study designed to allow uneven fluticasone dose between the 2 arms of the trial |
| Ringdal 2003 | Salmeterol vs LTRA |
| Rosenthal 1999 | No randomisation to ICS |
| Russell 1995 | No randomisation to ICS |
| SAM30002 | FSC compared to budesonide at higher dose |
| SAM30013 | FSC compared with higher‐dose fluticasone |
| SAM40116 | Patients with asthma and COPD given higher‐dose fluticasone |
| SAS30015 | FSC compared to BDP |
| Schermer 2007 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Schlosser 1998 | Device comparison |
| Scott 2005 | Device comparison |
| SLGA5021 | FSC comparison with higher‐dose fluticasone |
| Tonnel 2004 | Device comparison in acute asthma |
| Van den 2000 | Device comparison |
| Van Noord 1999 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Vermetten 1999 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| Woolcock 1996 | Higher‐dose ICS in control arm |
| You‐Ning 2005 | Device comparison |
| Zhong 2002 | Device comparison |
| Zhong 2005 | Comparison to different ICS in control arm |
BDP: beclomethasone dipropionate; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FP: fluticasone propionate; FSC: fluticasone propionate/salmeterol; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; LTRA: leukotriene receptor antagonist.