Two recent randomized trials support the use of roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, in moderate to severe COPD. The first randomized patients on salmeterol or tiotropium to roflumilast or placebo for 24 weeks, and found a mean increase in FEV1 of 49cc (in the salmeterol group) and 80cc (in the tiotropium group) (abstract). The second study randomized severe COPD to roflumilast or placebo for a year, with a mean increase in FEV1 of 48cc. The roflumilast patients also had a 17% reduction in number of moderate to severe exacerbations (abstract). Roflumilast may become a standard addition to regimens in moderate and severe COPD.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am and is filed under Pulmonary and Critical Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.