Salmeterol/fluticasone propionate cost effective in asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness that is common in developed countries. It has a significant impact in terms of treatment costs and its effect on quality of life. The combination of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate ['Seretide'; 'Advair'] is more cost effective than montelukast ['Singulair'] in the first-line treatment of asthma in adults, according to a presentation at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) [New York, US; March 2002].1 Researchers analysed results from two multicentre studies comparing the two products and concluded that, although costs were slightly higher for salmeterol/fluticasone propionate, compared with montelukast, this was offset by its greater efficacy. In another study presented at the meeting, the combination of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate was shown to provide greater improvement in quality of life (QOL) than either of its individual components alone.2