A Second Look at an Asthma Medication (U.S. News & World Report)

By January W. Payne 1 hour, 38 minutes ago A class of asthma medications called long-acting beta agonists, linked three years ago to worsening asthma and even death, is back on the agenda at the Food and Drug Administration. There was a burst of coverage after the FDA issued a public health advisory in 2005 saying that these medications were tied to a possible heightened risk of worsening wheezing, but then the issue faded. The agency plans to call another meeting on the safety of LABAs this fall or winter. The drugs--which include salmeterol xinafoate (Serevent Diskus), formoterol fumarate (Foradil), and formoterol fumarate (Perforomist Inhalation Solution)--do a good job of opening airways by relaxing surrounding smooth muscles. But because LABAs do not reduce airway inflammation, an inhaled corticosteroid is needed, in... [read full story]