Fluticasone/salmeterol, sold under the brand name Advair among others, is a fixed-dose combination medication containing

fluticasone propionate Fluticasone propionate, sold under the brand names Flovent and Flonase among others, is a steroid medication. When inhaled it is used for the long term management of asthma and COPD. In the nose it is used for hay fever and nasal polyps. It ...

and salmeterol. It is used in the management of

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, c ...

and

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

(COPD). It is used by inhaling the medication into the lungs. Common side effects include

thrush ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

, headache, and cough. Serious side effects may include worsening asthma,

anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follo ...

seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with l ...

s, and heart problems. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is unclear. Fluticasone, a

corticosteroid Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are in ...

, works by decreasing inflammation while salmeterol, a

long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist Long-acting β adrenoceptor agonists (LABAs, more specifically, long-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonists) are usually prescribed for moderate-to-severe persistent asthma patients or patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ...

(LABA), works by activating

beta-2 adrenergic receptor The beta-2 adrenergic receptor (β2 adrenoreceptor), also known as ADRB2, is a cell membrane-spanning beta-adrenergic receptor that binds epinephrine (adrenaline), a hormone and neurotransmitter whose signaling, via adenylate cyclase stimulation ...

s. The combination was approved for medical use in the United States in 2000. A generic version was approved in the United States in 2019. In 2020, it was the 56th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 11million prescriptions.

Medical uses

Fluticasone, a corticosteroid, is the

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as ...

component of the combination which decreases inflammation in the lungs. This leads to improvement in breathing. Salmeterol, an LABA, treats constriction of the airways. The combination of both is meant to be used as maintenance therapy and not as a rescue therapy for sudden symptoms.

Side effects

The common side effects of this combination are those of its individual drugs. For instance, the use of inhaled corticosteroids is associated with oral candidiasis, commonly known as yeast infection or thrush. Rinsing the mouth with water after inhaling the medication decreases the risk of developing this condition. While the use of inhaled steroids and LABA are recommended for the resulting improvement in control of symptoms of asthma, concerns have been raised that salmeterol may increase the risk of death due to asthma, and this additional risk is not reduced by the addition of inhaled steroids. Other side effects from this drug combination may include increased blood pressure, change in heart rate, an irregular heartbeat, increased risk of osteoporosis, cataracts, and glaucoma. Studies have demonstrated the safety of inhaled fluticasone propionate in children. A systematic review published in 2013 found no significant adverse effect on the function of the

hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis or HTPA axis) is a complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus (a part of the brain located below the thalamus), the pituitary gland (a ...

, growth, and bone mineral density in asthmatic children when inhaled fluticasone is used for up to three months.

Mechanism of action

Fluticasone/salmeterol contains

, a synthetic corticosteroid, and salmeterol, a selective long-acting beta-adrenergic receptor agonist. Fluticasone works as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, inhibiting multiple cell types such as

mast cell A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a pa ...

eosinophil Eosinophils, sometimes called eosinophiles or, less commonly, acidophils, are a variety of white blood cells (WBCs) and one of the immune system components responsible for combating multicellular parasites and certain infections in vertebrates. ...

basophil Basophils are a type of white blood cell. Basophils are the least common type of granulocyte, representing about 0.5% to 1% of circulating white blood cells. However, they are the largest type of granulocyte. They are responsible for inflammato ...

lymphocyte A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell (leukocyte) in the immune system of most vertebrates. Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic ad ...

s, macrophages, and

neutrophil Neutrophils (also known as neutrocytes or heterophils) are the most abundant type of granulocytes and make up 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in humans. They form an essential part of the innate immune system, with their functions varying in ...

s all of which contribute to inflammation, a large component in the pathogenesis of asthma. Salmeterol works by stimulating intracellular

adenyl cyclase Adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1, also commonly known as adenyl cyclase and adenylyl cyclase, abbreviated AC) is an enzyme with systematic name ATP diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing; 3′,5′-cyclic-AMP-forming). It catalyzes the following reaction: :A ...

, which acts as a

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

in the production of

cyclic AMP Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP, cyclic AMP, or 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) is a second messenger important in many biological processes. cAMP is a derivative of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and used for intracellular signal transd ...

. Increased cyclic AMP levels lead to a relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles. Additionally, cyclic AMP inhibits the release of mediators of immediate hypersensitivity.

Society and culture

Legal status

On 28 January 2021, the

Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), formerly known as Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP), is the European Medicines Agency's committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordin ...

(CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Seffalair Spiromax, intended for the treatment of asthma. The applicant for this medicinal product is Teva B.V. The CHMP also recommended the granting of a marketing authorization for the duplicate product BroPair Spiromax. Seffalair Spiromax and BroPair Spiromax were both approved for medical use in the European Union in March 2021.

Generic equivalents

In January 2019, the FDA granted Mylan N.V. the first generic approval for Advair Diskus.

Civil settlements

In 2012, Advair was part of a larger civil settlement agreement between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the United States, in which GSK agreed to pay $1.043 billion; the United States said that GSK promoted off-label uses of Advair and paid kickbacks to healthcare professionals to sell this drug, among others.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fluticasone Salmeterol Antiasthmatic drugs Combination drugs GSK plc brands Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate