QVA149, a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of two bronchodilators, is providing COPD patients clinically significant improvements in lung function, shortness of breath and health-related quality of life, according to manufacturer Novartis. Last week the company announced the first results from a pooled analysis of 4,891 COPD patients in the IGNITE clinical trial program (SHINE, ILLUMINATE and SPARK studies).
QVA149 combines ONBREZ BREEZHALER (indacaterol maleate), a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA) and SEEBRI BREEZHALER (glycopyrronium bromide), a long-acting anticholinergic (LAAC).
In clinical studies, QVA149 demonstrated an acceptable safety profile with no meaningful differences between the treatment groups in the incidence of adverse and serious adverse events, according to Novartis.
“These new trial results for investigational QVA149 are good news for my COPD patients who struggle each day with a disease that causes disabling breathlessness as they attempt simple everyday tasks,” said Kenneth R. Chapman, MSc, FACP, FRCPC, MD, director at the Asthma and Airway Centre of the University Health Network in Toronto. “A new treatment option improving lung function and relieving breathlessness around the clock with just one inhalation will be a welcome advance.”
