Experts highlight new tool as a timely addition to asthma treatment

As part of the broader public discussion around asthma sparked by the FDA’s examination of the commonly prescribed asthma drugs Advair, Symbicort, Serevent and Foradil, Dr. Philip Marcus, Chief, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, St. Francis Hospital, and Dr. James Wolfe, of Allergist, Allergy and Asthma Associates of Northern California, are available to discuss exhaled nitric oxide monitoring as an essential addition to asthma treatment, specifically as it regards the proper prescription of inhaled corticosteroids for asthma management.

A public discussion of the proper treatment of asthma has been prompted by recently released analysis by the FDA of four drugs used to treat asthma that may be linked to asthma related deaths and other adverse events. Patients and the families of patients may turn their attention at this time to the broader issues regarding asthma treatment, especially for children. Drs. Marcus and Wolfe are available to discuss these issues, especially as they regard the value and importance of exhaled nitric oxide, a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation that can guide the more precise prescription of corticosteroids for asthma management.

Dr. James Wolfe, Allergist, Allergy and Asthma Associates of Santa Clara Valley, San Jose, CA says:

"Combination drug therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting beta agonist (LABA) has been mainstay of asthma therapy during the last decade. Recent concern raised by the FDA has the potential to affect the prescribing habits of physicians who may elect to utilise a LABA with an ICS preparation. In view of the potential change in the landscape of therapy for bronchial asthma, measurement of the level of inflammation using an eNO monitoring may have an even greater role in guiding the dose of ICS therapy for asthma. Measurement of eNO level has been shown to be helpful in determining an effective and appropriate dose of ICS preparation, thereby avoiding both under-treatment and over-treatment with ICS."

Dr. Philip Marcus, Chief, Division of Pulmonary Medicine at St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY, says:

"The challenge for physicians who treat patients with asthma is to provide the best possible control with the lowest level of medication. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) provides an accurate measurement of airway inflammation which enables a more targeted corticosteroid prescription. This empowers physicians to decide the right treatment regimen for the right patient. In addition to Asthma Control Test (ACT) and pulmonary function testing, eNO appears to add another dimension in treating asthma and improving overall asthma control."

(Source: US Food and Drug Administration: December 2008)