Skip to main content

Generic, Brand-Name Medication Similarly Effective for COPD

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 -- For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), generic and brand-name fluticasone-salmeterol are similarly effective and safe, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

William B. Feldman, M.D., D.Phil., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues compared the effectiveness and safety of generic (Wixela Inhub) and brand-name (Advair Diskus) fluticasone-salmeterol among patients with COPD in a propensity score-matched cohort study. Of 27,305 Advair Diskus users and 18,064 Wixela Inhub users, 10,012 matched pairs were included in the primary analysis.

The researchers found that Wixela Inhub use was associated with a nearly identical incidence of first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation compared with Advair Diskus (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.04) and with a similar incidence of first pneumonia hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.15).

"In patients with COPD, the generic inhaled corticosteroid-long-acting β-agonist Wixela Inhub had nearly identical effectiveness and safety when compared with brand-name Advair Diskus," the authors write. "Similar studies can provide a useful means of evaluating the clinical effectiveness and safety of complex generic products after approval."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted August 2023

Read this next

Race-Neutral Metrics More Accurately Predict Risk in COPD

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Race-neutral metrics more accurately predict the risk for death and exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study...

Researchers Compare Race-Based, Race-Neutral Lung Function Equations

TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- The use of race-based and race-neutral equations for lung-function testing generate similarly accurate predictions of respiratory outcomes, but differ in...

Pulmonologist Intervention Beneficial for Undiagnosed Asthma, COPD

TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- For adults with undiagnosed asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), receipt of pulmonologist-directed treatment is associated with less...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.