FDA Concerned Over Popular Asthma Drugs

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The FDA is concerned about asthma drugs known as LABAs that are long-acting medicines for asthma. They relieve tight muscles around stressed airways and frees patients to inhale every few hours from the puff. These drugs enable asthmatic patients to sleep through the night peacefully.
Two Federal drug officials have now concluded that four hugely popular asthma drugs increase death risks if they are used for a long time. These drugs are Advair, Symbicort, Serevent and Foradil. However, the officials have not shared their views officially with the government. Two officials wrote on the FDA website that people of all ages should no longer take these medicines. A third drug-safety official stated that although Advair and Symbicort can be used by adults, all four drugs should not used in any case by individuals age 17 or under. Yikes!

The Director of Pulmonary and Allergy products, Dr. Badrul Chowdhury, cautioned that the risk of death associated with the drug was small and banning these drugs will be “an extreme approach.” If these drugs are banned completely then patients may resort to even riskier options.
The document released by the US regulators revealed that officials remain concerned over the use of these four drugs and will ask outside advisers if approval for treating lung disease should be revoked. Overall though for some, the benefits of the drugs may outweigh the risks involved with them.