Research & Development

The University of Plymouth has co-authored a new study, published in The Lancet, which shows how an asthma drug, commercially known as Relvar Ellipta, was more effective than patients’ usual care at improving their asthma control.

The study, developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), demonstrated that the daily inhalation of a powder made up of fluticasone furoate and 25mg vilanterol was more effective for improving asthma control, assessed by the Asthma Control Test (ACT), compared to maintenance inhaler therapy alone.

The drug was given to 2,114 of the 4,233 patients enrolled in the study, and results were assessed at 12, 24, 40 and 52 weeks. At 24 weeks, a much higher percentage (71%) of patients with symptomatic asthma achieved better control of their asthma compared to patients continuing with their standard care strategies (56%). There were also statistically significant improvements at 12, 40 and 52 weeks.

Dr Rupert Jones, senior clinical research fellow in clinical trials and health research at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, explained: “As the study was carried out on people in the general public, rather than considering any strict exclusion criteria, we can be confident it is translatable to the general public too. […] Practices and pharmacists local to Salford were involved, and the study showed that people taking the medication have twice the odds of achieving asthma control as those on usual care. The Salford Lung Study was designed in collaboration with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and not only the findings but the way the methodologies of the research could be really influential on future work.”