GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance, Inc. announced yesterday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the BREO™ ELLIPTA™ as once-daily maintenance treatment for COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It's also supposed to help reduce COPD exacerbations in patients who are prone to them.

The BREO ELLIPTA is a combination of fluticasone furoate (FF), an inhaled corticosteroid and vilanterol (VI), a long-acting beta₂ agonist (LABA).

In a recent press release, Darrell Baker, SVP and head of GSK Global Respiratory Franchise said:

"This approval means that we can now realize our plan to bring BREO ELLIPTA to appropriate COPD patients in the US.  We know that one of the main issues for patients who have experienced a COPD exacerbation is about possible future episodes.  BREO ELLIPTA will help patients breathe better day-to-day and reduce the risk of future exacerbations, with a once-daily inhalation."

The BREO ELLIPTA will market as Relvar outside the US and is reportedly seen, at least initially, as a complimentary product to GSK's top-selling Advair. There is some indication that it may eventually replace Advair. BREO ELLIPTA should be available by prescription in the US during the third quarter of 2013.

COPD is often not recognized until later in the course of the disease, which ultimately delays treatment. Early diagnosis is important because delaying treatment can have a negative impact on your prognosis. A new study tells us that if we ask questions during the screening process about prior respiratory events, we may be able to identify COPD in its earlier stages, leading to earlier treatment and better patient outcomes.

The study, conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, looked at the medical records of 702 patients. Of these, 356 were women with a mean age of 67.5 years, and 346 were men with a mean age of 66.6. Each patient had an initial diagnosis of COPD during the study period.

The following summarizes the results:

• Respiratory events that were identified as probabe COPD exacerbations were common in the 2 years prior to a COPD diagnosis with a range of 0 to 16 events per individual patient.
• Pre-diagnostic respiratory events were predictive of similar events in the period following the diagnosis.

What this means is that there are a lot of people experiencing COPD exacerbations who are unaware that they have COPD. If you, or someone you know, has a history of smoking or exposure to other types of airway irritants, and you are experiencing frequent respiratory infections, talk to your doctor about getting a spirometry test.

^Source:

^{Yawn B.P., Wollan P., Rank M. Exacerbations in the pre- and post- COPD diagnosis period. Published Date May 2013 Volume 2013:4 Pages 1 - 6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/POR.S41778.}

Medical oxygen is covered by Medicare for patients who meet very specific qualifications. Breathlessness alone, is not one of them. If Medicare has denied payment for your home or portable oxygen treatment, take a look at the following to make sure you meet the criteria:

Medical Oxygen and Medicare

If you use supplemental oxygen, how compliant are you with your treatment? If you say not very, you're not alone. Studies suggest that many people who are prescribed oxygen therapy don't use it like they're supposed to. But, what if you could view oxygen as a friend, rather than a foe? Wouldn't that help you recognize how important it is to your health and well being?

To learn more about oxygen therapy and how it benefits you, read:

The Benefits of Supplemental Oxygen