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Advair: Asthma
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Advair is an asthma medication fashioned from the combination of two drugs developed by the world's largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline. Fluticasone... known by its commercial names Flovent and Flonase, is the glucocorticoid component of Advair. It works to calm the symptoms of asthma by inhibiting the production or secretion of the chemicals that cause the airways to inflame. Salmeterol (also known by its commercial name, Serevent), the other component of Advair, is a beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist drug that essentially acts as a localized muscle relaxant, specifically relaxing the smooth muscles of the bronchial passages. This allows air to flow more freely in and out of the lungs. Advair is supposed to be prescribed only as a last-resort asthma medication after low-dose or medium-dose corticosteriods fail to control the patient's asthma.
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Advair is an innovative medicine from Glaxo Wellcome Inc., a research- based company committed to improving the lives of Canadians by fighting disease. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Glaxo Wellcome Inc. employs more than 1,350 people across Canada who work to discover, develop, manufacture and market new medicines for the treatment of asthma, COPD, migraine, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Through the Glaxo Wellcome Foundation, the company makes significant contributions to charitable organizations and events with a focus on hospice/palliative care in Canada. The company is part of U.K.-based Glaxo Wellcome plc, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
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Although Advair®, Foradil®, and Serevent® decrease the frequency of asthma attacks, these medicines may make asthma episodes much more severe when they do occur, the FDA warns. In one study, patients took salmeterol, an active ingredient in both Advair® and Serevent®. Salmeterol users were more likely to need respirators or ventilators due to severe asthma attacks than did asthma patients who took fake pills or placebos. Four times as many salmeterol users died compared to those who did not take the drug.
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Advair information states that Advair will not stop an asthma attack already in progress. Advair is a long acting bronchodilator that is intended to prevent asthma attacks from occurring. Advair information indicates that this drug is not a replacement for inhaled corticosteroids or short acting bronchodilators. Increased need to use the latter products may indicate the worsening of a patient's condition. In these cases, a patient should speak to their physician.
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Advair has been linked with a number of cases of fatal asthmatic episodes. Although incidences of the severe side effect are relatively rare, the increased risk has warranted the application of the infamous FDA black box label. Prior to the revision of the warning label, consumers were not made aware of the risk of suffering a fatal asthmatic attack as a result of using Advair and other salmeterol based drugs. The failure to place a proper label warning was negligent on the part of GlaxoSmithKline. This company may be liable for some of the injuries and deaths caused by their products.
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[O]n November 18, 2005, the FDA, in a Public Health Advisory, said Advair, Serevent and the lesser known Foradil, should not be used as the initial treatment against asthma, but only after other medications have proven ineffective. In fact, the agency stated that “these medicines may increase the chance of severe asthma episodes, and death when those episodes occur.” Accordingly, the active ingredient in both Advair and Serevent, salmeterol, has been shown to possibly cause the exact opposite for which it is prescribed.
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