Abstract
Effective bronchodilation is an important part of the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and can improve breathlessness and ability to undertake physical activities. Indacaterol is a new once-daily, long-acting inhaled bronchodilator for COPD. We review here the efficacy of indacaterol as a bronchodilator, including its impact upon symptoms and health status. The evidence reviewed comprises four placebo-controlled clinical studies of indacaterol treatment, three of which included treatment arms with one of the other long-acting inhaled bronchodilators (once-daily tiotropium or twice-daily salmeterol or formoterol), in 4,833 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Indacaterol had a bronchodilator effect significantly greater than formoterol and salmeterol, and similar to tiotropium. Its effect on symptoms and health status was similar or significantly greater than the other bronchodilators. The safety profile was similar to placebo. Once-daily indacaterol is an effective and beneficial maintenance bronchodilator treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.
Keywords: indacaterol, efficacy, bronchodilators, COPD, formoterol, salmeterol, tiotropium
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Footnotes
PWJ has received consultancy fees from Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and has sat on advisory boards for GSK, AstraZeneca (AZ), Roche, Boehringer-Ingelheim (BI), Forest, Almirall, and Spiration. He has received grants from GSK.
NCB has provided ad hoc consultancy advice to the following companies with an interest in asthma: AZ, Chiesi, GSK, Novartis, Teva, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD). He has given lectures for AZ, Chiesi, GSK, MSD, Novartis, and has received research funding which has gone into departmental funds from AZ, GSK, MSD and Novartis. Neither he nor any relative hold shares in the pharmaceutical industry.
CV has received fees for presentations at symposia sponsored by (in alphabetical order) AZ, BI, Chiesi, GSK, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Nycomed, Pfizer, Talecris, and for consulting from (in alphabetical order) AZ, BI, GSK, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Nycomed, and Talecris.
DL and BK are employees of Novartis.