A recent news story in the Daily Mail newspaper stated that “a once-a-day pill may be better than an inhaler at combating asthma.” The newspaper claimed that the tablet could free patients from dependence on inhalers and would be able to “revolutionise treatment for the condition”.
The pills in the article referred to, which are known as LTRA tablets, were tested in two trials with 650 patients that compared the drugs to inhaled treatments. Both were tested as an initial treatment for newly diagnosed asthma and for asthma that could not be controlled with a single inhaler.
Researchers found in both circumstances that all treatments produced a very similar improvement on patients’ quality of life in the beginning of the treatment. However, after two years, the quality of life scores were slightly higher in those who used inhalers.
This means that the tablets did not show better performance than inhalers, as many news sources have reported including the Daily Mail. Importantly, however, the researchers did find that people found it easier to use tablets than inhalers.
LTRA tablets have been available for a number of years, and this study looked at their use in a real-world setting rather than under the strictly controlled environment of an experimental trial. As such, the research can help inform us about factors such as patient’s adherence to their medication, but means that only limited conclusions can be drawn from its results.
LTRA tablets have their uses, just as inhalers do, and doctors can prescribe them when appropriate for an individual patient. However, the results of this research do not support the newspapers’ view that the pills are a better option for most patients.
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