1. The paradoxes of asthma management: time for a new approach?
Publications
The paradoxes of asthma management: time for a new approach?
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017.
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2. Context
Paradoxes of asthma management
Practical solutions
Discussion

3. REALISE study (N=8,000)2
CONTEXT
45.1%
of patients had GINA-defined uncontrolled asthma
(n=3,611)
National and international surveys continue to reveal inadequate asthma
control in more than 50% of patients1
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017
INSPIRE study (N = 3,415)3
51%
of patients had uncontrolled asthma, based on ACQ scores (n = 1,732)
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50: Price D, et al. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2014;24: Partridge MR et al. BMC Pulm Med 2006; 6:13

4. Stages of symptom worsening
CONTEXT
During symptom worsening, patients rely on their SABA immediately but delay taking additional preventer medication.
Stages of symptom worsening
n = 3,411
Figures adapted from: Partridge MR et al. 2006
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LABA, long-acting β2-agonist; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist.
Partridge MR et al. BMC Pulm Med 2006; 6:13

5. Over-reliance on SABA is irrespective of asthma severity
CONTEXT
Over-reliance on SABA is irrespective of asthma severity
Medicines used to treat asthma by Symptoms Severity Index:
Anti-inflammatories versus quick-relief medications
Severe Persistent
Moderate Persistent
Mild Persistent
Mild Intermittent
Severe Persistent
Moderate Persistent
Mild Persistent
Mild Intermittent
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist.
Rabe KF et al. Eur Respir J 2000; 16: 802–7.

6. CONTEXT
“We hypothesise that the roots of this behaviour, and the poor outcomes of asthma treatment in many patients with even mild asthma, are attributable to a number of paradoxes in our treatment approach and advice, which are confusing to patients.
The unintended consequence is the establishment of a pattern of early over-reliance on SABA.”
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017

7. Paradoxes of asthma management
Context
Paradoxes of asthma management
Practical solutions
Discussion

8. PARADOXES OF ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Paradox #1
In step 1, a SABA alone is recommended despite the fact that asthma is a disease of chronic airway inflammation with increased inflammation at the times of exacerbations.1
Patients are taught from the start that treating symptoms alone is acceptable.
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:
Figure adapted from GINA guidelines 2018

9. PARADOXES OF ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Paradox #2
In step 1, patients are asked to recognise when their condition is becoming troublesome and respond appropriately with SABA use.
However, at steps 2 and higher, this approach used at step 1 has to be unlearnt, when physicians attempt to emphasise the key role of a controller that needs to be taken at fixed doses trying to minimize SABA use.1
Patients learn in step 1 that symptom relief is best achieved with the SABA, which make it difficult to reduce it in later asthma stages.
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:

10. PARADOXES OF ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Paradox #3
In step 2 and higher, the medication that treats the underlying inflammation (ICS) is not the one that the patient perceives is benefitting them (SABA).1
Proportion of ICS-treated patients who agree with each statement (n = 3 415)2
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50: Partridge et al. BMC Pulm Med 2006; 6:13. INSPIRE

11. ? Paradox #4 SABA alone OK LABA alone not OK
PARADOXES OF ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Paradox #4
There is a different safety message in the advice given for the use of SABA and LABA (SABA alone being safe and LABA alone being unsafe)1 2
SABA alone OK
LABA alone not OK ?
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50: Spitzer WO et al. N Engl J Med 1992; 326: 501–506.

12. PARADOXES OF ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Paradox #5
Reinforce a patient’s false belief that the asthma has been effectively controlled.
There is a dislocation between patients’ understanding of “asthma control” and the frequency, impact and severity of their symptoms1
45.1%
of patients had GINA-defined uncontrolled asthma
(n=3,611)
REALISE study (N=8,000)2
83.7%
of these patients perceived their asthma as controlled
(n=3,023)
69.9%
of these patients perceived their asthma as not serious
(n=2,523)
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50: Price D, et al. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2014;24:14009

13. Context
Paradoxes of asthma management
Practical solutions
Discussion

14. PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
The early introduction of ICS at the time of diagnosis is attractive, but there are several factors that could limit the efficacy of this approach… …patients will always favour the SABA over the ICS or other controller, because of the rapid relief of symptoms.1
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017
Figure adapted from GINA guidelines 2018
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:

15. The GOAL and FACET studies findings
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:

16. PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Replacing SABA alone as needed by ICS/formoterol as-needed in patients with intermittent or infrequent symptoms could be the solution to these paradoxes1
ICS/For as a reliever could treat the inflammation
ICS/For as a reliever matches the patients self-titration strategies
ICS/For as a reliever provides the fast-relief that the patient expect
ICS/For as a reliever combines an ICS with a ß2-agonist
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:

17. PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, so this approach may be considered an oversimplification (ex: how are non-eosinophilic asthma treated in this continuum of care?). The approach is deliberately simple for all the Doctors (in primary care in particular) without access to the tools to phenotype/endotype asthma while still providing adequate and acceptable treatment for asthma patients
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017
1. O’Byrne et al. ERJ 2017; 50:

18. PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
The GOAL and FACET studies findings
It will be vital to conduct studies to show this as a superior approach to SABA as needed, and not inferior to regular ICS for mild asthma.
O’Byrne et al., ERJ 2017
For compliance reasons, AstraZeneca cannot communicate on the results of the SYGMA trials considered as off-label until further notice

19. Context
Paradoxes of asthma management
Practical solutions
Discussion

20. Discussion
A new approach - Airflow limitation and risk as a result of eosinophilic airway inflammation as the most important and recognisable treatable traits1
1. Pavord et al. Lancet 2018; 391: 350–400

21. The average hazard ratios did not differ across symptom groups.
Discussion
Time to first severe asthma-related event was prolonged across all 3 budesonide groups
The average hazard ratios did not differ across symptom groups.
Reddel et al., Lancet 2017

22. No interaction was seen by baseline symptom frequency
Discussion
Rate of severe exacerbations decreased across all 3 budesonide groups
No interaction was seen by baseline symptom frequency
Reddel et al., Lancet 2017

23. Asthma control is poor across disease severity
Discussion
Asthma control is poor across disease severity
Asthma control according to treatment step (n = 624)1
In the MAGIC study of patients with physician-diagnosed asthma (N = 1286), the incidence of uncontrolled asthma increased with increasing GINA* Steps 2–51.
Asthma control was poor, even at GINA Step 11.
Step 1
Step 2
Steps 3&4
Step 5
2006 GINA treatment step2
Reliever
As-needed SABA
Controller
Low dose ICS
ICS/LABA
ICS/LABA plus
Oral GCS or Anti-IgE
*Based on 2006 GINA guidelines2.
GINA, Global Initiative for Asthma; GCS, glucocorticoids; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; IgE, immunoglobulin E; LABA, long-acting β2-agonist; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist.
1. Olaguibel JM et al. Respir Res 2012, 13: 50; 2. Bateman ED, et al. Eur Respir J 2008; 31: 143–78.

24. 16% 15–20% In two Australian studies
Discussion
In two Australian studies
16%
of patients with near-fatal asthma2
of adults dying of asthma2,3
15–20%
had symptoms less than weekly in the previous 3 months
2. Campbell DA, McLennan G, Coates JR, et al. A comparison of asthma deaths and near-fatal asthma attacks in South Australia. Eur Respir J 1994; 7: 490–97.
3. Robertson CF, Rubinfeld AR, Bowes G. Deaths from asthma in Victoria: a 12-month survey. Med J Aust 1990; 152: 511–17.

25. 12 preventer prescriptions per year
Discussion
NRAD report reveals excessive prescribing of SABAs and under-prescribing of preventer medication
The NRAD report was an investigation of recent asthma deaths in the UK by the Royal College of Physicians
38% of patients on preventer inhalers* received fewer than 4 inhalers in the year leading up to their death…
Evidence of under-prescribing of preventer medication
and 80% received fewer than 12 preventer inhalers
Evidence of excessive prescribing of reliever medication
39%
of patients who were on short-acting relievers at the time of death had been prescribed more than
To comply with recommendations, most patients would usually need at least
12 preventer prescriptions per year
12 short-acting reliever inhalers in the year before they died
4% had been prescribed more than 50
reliever inhalers
*Of those patients for which the number of prescriptions was known. Among 189 patients who were on short-acting relievers at the time of death, the number of prescriptions was known for 165. Among 168 patients on preventer inhalers at the time of death, either as stand-alone or in combination, the number of prescriptions was known for 128.
NRAD, National Review of Asthma Deaths; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist Royal College of Physicians. Why Asthma Still Kills? The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) [online] Available from: [Last accessed: December, 2016].

26. Discussion
Over-reliance on SABA and under-use of ICS are both associated with an increase in mortality
Over-reliance on SABA at the expense of ICS controller therapy is associated with an increased risk of asthma-related death, as a result of under-treatment of inflammation1
Episodes of high reliever use (>6 inhalations/day on at least one day) are also predictive of an increased risk of exacerbations3
Canisters of ICS per year2
Rate ratio for death from asthma 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 10 11
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Canisters of SABA per month/20,000 μg1
Asthma deaths/10,000 patient-years 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
0.0 50
100
150
200
250
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; SABA, short-acting β2-agonist.
1. Suissa S et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1994; 149: 604–10; 2. Suissa S et al. N Engl J Med 2000; 343: 332–6; 3. Buhl R et al. Respir Res 2012; 13: 59

27. Discussion
1. Ankerst J et al. J Asthma 2005; 42:715-24

28. Maintenance & reliever therapy as of 12 years old#
Discussion
Maintenance & reliever therapy as of 12 years old#
COPD: Symbicort available in Turbohaler or pMDI*
Available in Triple Pack#
SmPCs: Symbicort Turbohaler (160/4,5), Symbicort Turbohaler (320/9), Symbicort Aerosol(160/4,5) latest versions
* Symbicort aérosol-doseur is to be used in the treatment of COPD and is not approved within the EU for the treatment of asthma. Symbicort aérosol-doseur is not to be used as a reliever medication, thus obviating its use as maintenance and reliever therapy (ie, SMART). # Maintenance & Reliever therapy only in asthma for Symbicort Turbohaler (160/4,5)
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