Asia PR News

LUND, June 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Large Study Demonstrates That Patients May Miss the Opportunity
for Avoiding Asthma Attacks

New data on the attitudes and behaviours of asthma patients just published
in BMC Pulmonary Medicine highlight the need for a new strategy in asthma
management.

The International Asthma Patient Insight Research (INSPIRE) study is the
first large scale (n=3,415 patients) study in asthma patients on regular
maintenance therapy. The study offers valuable insight in asthma patients’
attitudes to asthma management, the impact of the condition on their daily
lives, and how they respond to sudden worsenings of their symptoms.

Perhaps the most interesting insight for healthcare professionals who treat
asthma patients is that there is a window of missed opportunity in current
asthma management. The INSPIRE study shows that patients recognise the most
common signs of an approaching worsening of their symptoms such as ’shortness
of breath/getting breathless’, as a ‘warning period’ but fail to prevent the
attack itself.

From first noticing deterioration to the peak of a worsening, patients in
the INSPIRE study reported a mean onset of 5.1 days but rather than adjusting
the usage of preventative therapy, patients increase their reliever therapy
thereby treating the symptoms rather than preventing the inflammation causing
the worsening in the first place.

"The INSPIRE study provides the first clear evidence that ‘warning periods’
prior to an asthma attack are experienced by most people with asthma, marking a
real breakthrough in our understanding of the disease. Warning signs are well
understood in other disease areas such as diabetes, acting as markers to
prevent adverse events. By understanding that asthma patients can identify the
signs of a forthcoming attack we can ensure that patients grasp the window of
opportunities and adjust their medication appropriately already at the initial
signs of a worsening," said Professor Martyn R. Partridge, Faculty of Medicine,
Imperial College London and member of the INSPIRE Steering Committee.

The majority of patients (71%) agree that they are much more likely to try
and manage their asthma themselves rather than visit their physician when their
symptoms become bothersome. However, the study highlights that many people with
asthma are poorly controlled. Despite being on regular medication, only 28% of
patients were well controlled, and most patients (84%) experienced periods of
worsenings within the last year (mean 11/year). On average 27% of the
worsenings that they had experienced in the last year were severe.

"The findings from INSPIRE provides us with a strong rationale and an
opportunity to improve the way patients are managing their asthma. The fears,
concerns, attitudes and desire for participation in their own disease
management were remarkably consistent around the world. And that knowledge
should be used to form a future platform for patient education in
self-management. The study shows that the vast majority of patients want
treatments that provide immediate relief, and want to be able to adjust their
asthma therapy to the changes of their asthma. The effectiveness of any
treatment is based upon a combination of the treatment’s efficacy and the
patient’s compliance or adherence to their doctor’s guidance. A potential
advance in future treatment strategy could be to take the current effective
treatments that many patients today use sub-optimally and ensure patients are
guided to increase their preventative treatment earlier," concluded Martyn R.
Partridge.

INSPIRE was conducted in eight European countries including: UK, Belgium,
Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and Spain and is based on
interviews with more than 2,400 asthma patients suffering from moderate to
severe asthma. Similar interviews have subsequently been conducted in Canada,
the US and Australia, bringing the total number of patients in the INSPIRE
study to over 3,400 patients.

References:

1) BMC Pulmonary Medicine: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpulmmed/
M Partridge: BMC Pulmonary Medicine 2006;6:13

2) INSPIRE abstract citations (ERS 2005, European data only)
M Partridge, ERS 2005: European Respiratory Journal 2005;26(49):Abs1710
T van der Molen, ERS 2005: European Respiratory Journal
2005;26(49):Abs166

The INSPIRE study was funded by AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca are the manufacturers of Symbicort(R), a combination of the
inhaled corticosteroid budesonide and rapid- and long-acting beta-agonist
formoterol, which is indicated for the treatment of asthma and COPD.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the
research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription
pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world’s
leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and
leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience,
respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

SOURCE: AstraZeneca

CONTACT: For further information about the INSPIRE study, or to request
an interview with a member of the INSPIRE Steering Committee,
please do not hesitate to contact:

Cecilia Svensson,
Global PR Manager,
AstraZeneca,
Tel: +46-46-33-77-72;

Mette Thorn Sorensen,
Senior Consultant,
Cohn & Wolfe,
Tel: +45-41-38-43-00