Dual bronchodilator combination shines in patients with high-risk COPD

It may be time to revise guidelines when it comes to initial treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated by exacerbations, based on data from a phase III trial reported at an international conference of the American Thoracic Society. The trial, known as FLAME, undertook a head-to-head comparison of 2 inhaled drug combinations (indacaterol and glycopyrronium vs salmeterol and fluticasone) among more than 3300 patients from 43 countries. After a year, the annual rate of exacerbations was 11% lower with indacaterol-glycopyrronium than with salmeterol-fluticasone. More on the results of the trial is available at Family Practice News: https://www.familypracticenews.com/specialty-focus/pulmonary-sleep-medicine/single-article-page/dual-bronchodilator-combination-shines-in-patients-with-high-risk-copd/60032e8e9b0393af639f41566f165d80.html.