Image of BREO ELLIPTABREO ELLIPTA, a once-daily inhaled ICS/LABA for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is now available to pharmacies throughout the U.S., according to GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance Inc.

BREO ELLIPTA is a combination of the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) fluticasone furoate “FF”, and the long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) vilanterol “VI” (FF/VI 100/25 mcg).

It is indicated for the long-term, once?daily, maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema.

BREO ELLIPTA is also indicated to reduce exacerbations of COPD in patients with a history of exacerbations, according to GSK. The product, which received FDA approval in May 2013, is not indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm or for the treatment of asthma.

“Patients and physicians have a new treatment option with BREO ELLIPTA, the first once-daily ICS/LABA for the maintenance treatment of COPD,” said Jorge Bartolome, senior vice president of GSK Respiratory Business Unit in the U.S. “This new option for healthcare providers to prescribe is good news for the millions of people in the U.S. affected by COPD.”

Over 12 million Americans are currently diagnosed with COPD, but it is estimated that another 12 million Americans with the disease are undiagnosed, according to The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

The wholesale acquisition cost for BREO ELLIPTA is $267 per device, which includes 30 once-daily inhalations, according to Bartolome, who noted that the cost to the patient will vary depending on factors such as the price set at the pharmacy, or the patient’s healthcare plan.

He emphasized that there is parity between BREO ELLIPTA’s cost and other ICS/LABAs on the market, but that BREO ELLIPTA is the first and only once-daily ICS/LABA medication available.

The treatment will also be available for hospital and clinical use; these units will include 14 once-daily inhalations, Bartolome said. 

More information is available on the GlaxoSmithKline website.