The U.S. Food and Drugs Administration has approved a new drug called Striverdi Respimat to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Striverdi Respimat is available as an inhalation spray and will be used to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Striverdi Respimat can be used once daily over a long period of time.
According to the FDA, this long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist (LABA) helps the muscles around the airways in the lungs stay relaxed to prevent symptoms. However, it should not be used in patients with acutely deteriorating COPD as it can cause serious side effects, including narrowing and obstruction of the respiratory airway (paradoxical bronchospasm) and cardiovascular effects.
The effectiveness and safety of the medication was tested in a clinical trial including 3,104 people diagnosed with COPD. People who received Striverdi Respimat showed improved lung function compared to a placebo. However, the FDA warned that the drug hasn't been tested on asthma patients. Hence, its effectiveness in treating the disorder cannot be guaranteed.
The other side effects reported by people using Striverdi Respimat in the clinical study were nasopharyngitis (runny nose), upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, cough, urinary tract infection, dizziness, rash, diarrhea, back pain and arthralgia (joint pain).
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a lung condition usually caused by smoking. It affects more than 24 million people in the U.S., or 6 percent of the population, according to a COPD Foundation report released in 2013. It is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association.
Once COPD has been diagnosed, recognizing worsening signs and symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important part of managing your illness. Knowing when symptoms are changing is helpful so that treatment and other interventions can begin quickly. Early treatment is most effective and likely preserves lung function long term, according to a Mayo Clinic report. While there are many effective measures you can do at home to treat signs and symptoms, there are also actions that should be avoided:
- Smoking
- Taking any extra doses of theophylline
- Taking codeine or any other cough suppressant
- Use of over-the-counter nasal sprays for more than 3 days
- Increasing the liter flow of prescribed oxygen
- Waiting longer than 24 hours to contact your healthcare provider if symptoms continue.
