Symbicort Turbohaler – with you every step of the way

Prescribing information Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) asthma Prescribing information Bricanyl® Turbohaler® (terbutaline sulfate)

Prescribing information Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) COPD Prescribing information Pulmicort® Turbohaler® (budesonide)

Prescribing information OXIS (formoterol) asthma

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Why does Symbicort® (budesonide/formoterol) Turbohaler® make sense?

Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) Reliever Therapy (Turbohaler 200/6) is the first ICS/LABA inhaler licensed as a reliever for adults and adolescents (≥12 years) with mild asthma^1,2

Symbicort Turbohaler is now indicated across all asthma severities.^1,3,4

For Symbicort Turbohaler indication statement please click here

Why does Symbicort Turbohaler make sense for your patients?

Hover over the cards below to reveal how Symbicort Turbohaler can support the needs of your patients.

Patients tend to seek immediate relief from their asthma symptoms.⁵

How Symbicort may help

Symbicort Turbohaler combines a preventer (ICS) and a reliever (LABA) in 1 inhaler which helps reduce inflammation caused by asthma.^1,3,4

This can benefit your patients by providing fast symptom relief and protecting against future exacerbations. Symbicort can be used as Reliever Therapy or as Maintenance And Reliever Therapy.^1,3

Patients want to use fewer inhalers.⁶

How Symbicort may help

Symbicort Turbohaler is a single, easy-to-use inhaler^7,15 that can be used as Reliever Therapy (Turbohaler 200/6) or as MART (Turbohaler 100/6 and 200/6 doses only).^1,3

Most patients believe the environmental impact of inhalers should be a consideration in treatment choices.⁸

How Symbicort may help

Symbicort Turbohaler is a Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI), which is a greener option for the environment and could help reduce carbon footprint versus Metered Dosed Inhalers (MDIs).⁹

For adolescents, practical barriers that reduce their ability to adhere to treatment include: poor inhaler technique, forgetfulness and poor routines.¹⁰

How Symbicort may help

Symbicort Reliever Therapy (Turbohaler 200/6) could benefit your mild asthma patients (over 12 years) as it is taken as-needed with no fixed dosing.¹

For moderate to severe asthma patients (over 12 years) a MART regime with Symbicort Turbohaler 100/6 (moderate) or Symbicort Turbohaler 200/6 (moderate to severe) might be more appropriate, providing the choice of once or twice-daily dosing to suit varying lifestyles.^1,3

The cost of 2 prescriptions for separate inhalers may be a barrier for patients. Cost may be seen as a disincentive to obtaining preventative medication.¹¹

How Symbicort may help

Symbicort Turbohaler requires only 1 prescription charge when used as Reliever Therapy (200/6 dose only) or MART (100/6 and 200/6 doses only).

Patients want to use less steroid.⁶

How Symbicort may help

Both SYGMA 1 and Novel Start studies assess steroid usage of Symbicort Turbohaler 200/6 used as a reliever. Find out more here

Why does Symbicort Turbohaler make sense for you?

Low-dose ICS-formoterol is the preferred reliever in GINA and PCRS steps 1–5 with or without background maintenance.^12,13

Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) Guide

Path 1: Dual anti-inflammatory reliever pathway" of the PCRS Asthma Guideline recommends ICS-formoterol as the main reliever across all asthma severities.¹²

Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Guideline

Since 2019, GINA has recommended as- needed low dose ICS-formoterol in mild asthma, with ICS-formoterol as the preferred controller and reliever across all severities.¹³

European Respiratory Society (ERS) Task Force Guideline

At ERS 2023, a task force recommended that adults and adolescents should use as-needed ICS-formoterol in mild asthma.¹⁴

Want to learn more about Symbicort Turbohaler clinical data?

Symbicort Turbohaler MART (100/6 & 200/6 doses only)

Symbicort Reliever Therapy (Turbohaler 200/6)

How to implement this approach

Symbicort® (budesonide/formoterol) Turbohaler® 100/6, 200/6 and 400/12 are indicated for adults and adolescents 12 years and older for regular treatment of asthma where the combined use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting β2 adrenoceptor agonist (LABA) is appropriate:^1,3,4

Patients not adequately controlled with ICS and as needed inhaled short-acting β2 adrenoceptor agonists (SABA)

Patients already adequately controlled on both ICS and LABA.

Symbicort® Turbohaler® 100/6 is not intended for the initial management of asthma. It is also indicated in children with moderate asthma aged ≥6 years for regular maintenance treatment with a separate rapid-acting bronchodilator as rescue. Note: This inhaler is not appropriate in patients with severe asthma.³

Symbicort® Turbohaler® 200/6 is also indicated as reliever therapy for adults and adolescents ≥12 years with mild asthma.¹

Symbicort® Turbohaler® 100/6 (moderate asthma only) or 200/6 (moderate or severe asthma) are indicated for Maintenance And Reliever Therapy (MART) or for maintenance therapy in asthma patients ≥12 years.^1,3

Symbicort® Turbohaler® 400/12 is indicated for maintenance therapy only in asthma patients ≥12 years and is not intended for the initial management of asthma.⁴

It’s important to note, there is a pressurised metered dose inhaler Symbicort® 100/3 pMDI* available for the treatment of asthma, as an alternative for asthma patients who can’t use a dry powder inhaler.¹⁶

*The Symbicort® 100/3 pMDI is indicated for the treatment of asthma and is not approved in the UK for the treatment of COPD. An alternative strength of Symbicort® pMDI is also available (200/6 micrograms/inhalation), Symbicort® 200/6 pMDI is to be used in the treatment of COPD and is not approved in the UK for the treatment of asthma.^4,5

For further information, maximum dosage and method of administration for Symbicort® Turbohaler® 100/6, 200/6 and/or 400/12 and for Symbicort® 100/3 and 200/6 pMDIs, see SmPCs.^1,3,4,13,16

References
1. Symbicort Turbohaler 200/6 Summary of Product Characteristics.
2. AstraZeneca UK Ltd. Data on File. ID: REF-217029 February 2024.
3. Symbicort Turbohaler 100/6 Summary of Product Characteristics.
4. Symbicort Turbohaler 400/12 Summary of Product Characteristics.
5. Partridge, M. R., van der Molen, T., Myrseth, S. E., & Busse, W. W. (2006). Attitudes and actions of asthma patients on regular maintenance therapy: The INSPIRE study. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 6(1), 1.
6. Haughney, J., Fletcher, M., Wolfe, S., et al. (2007). Features of asthma management: 5. Quantifying the patient perspective. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 7, 16.
7. Watson, J. B. (1990). The acceptability and efficacy of terbutaline given by metered-dose powder inhalation ('Bricanyl Turbohaler') in asthmatic hospital out-patients: A multi-centre study. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 11(10), 654-660.
8. D'Ancona, G., Cumella, A., Renwick, C., Walker, S. (2021). The sustainability agenda and inhaled therapy: What do patients want? European Respiratory Journal, 58(Suppl 65), PA3399.
9. Wilkinson, A., & Woodcock, A. (2022). The environmental impact of inhalers for asthma: A green challenge and a golden opportunity. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 88(7), 3016-3022.
10. De Simoni, A., Horne, R., Fleming, L., et al. (2017). What do adolescents with asthma really think about adherence to inhalers? Insights from a qualitative analysis of a UK online forum. BMJ Open, 7.
11. Cole, S., Seale, C., Griffiths, C. (2013). "The blue one takes a battering": Why do young adults with asthma overuse bronchodilator inhalers? A qualitative study. BMJ Open, 3.
12. Zadeh, D., Hickman, K., Lawlor, R., et al. Focus on asthma: The GINA Approach to Managing Asthma. Primary Care Respiratory Update. Issue 26 2023.
13. GINA. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. 2023.
14. Papi, A., Ferreira, D., Agache, I., et al. European Respiratory Society Short Guidelines for the use of as-needed ICS/formoterol in mild Asthma. European Respiratory Journal. 2023.
15. Selroos O, et al. Treat Respir Med. 2006;5(5):305–315.
16. Symbicort® pMDI 100/3, actuation pressurised inhalation suspension. Summary of Product Characteristics.

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