Asthma Drug Linked to Serious Adverse Events

By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: October 09, 2008 Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco LONDON, Oct. 9 -- For chronic asthma, the regular use of formoterol is associated with a significant increase in non-fatal serious adverse events, according to a systematic review of the literature. Explain to interested patients that this systematic review found that regular use of formoterol was associated with an increase in the occurrence of non-fatal serious adverse events. Point out that the researchers did not recommend stopping treatment with the drug. In an analysis of 22 randomized trials, regular formoterol use was linked to a 57% increase in non-fatal serious adverse events compared with placebo (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.37),... [read full story]