Budesonide-Formoterol More Effective Than Salbutamol for Preventing Asthma Attacks in Children

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- In children aged 5 to 15 years with mild asthma, budesonide-formoterol reliever monotherapy is superior to salbutamol for preventing asthma attacks, according to a study published in the Oct. 4 issue of The Lancet.Lee Hatter, M.D., from the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in Wellington, and colleagues compared the efficacy of combination inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol reliever monotherapy versus short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) reliever monotherapy on the rate of asthma attacks in children. The analysis included 360 children (aged 5 to 15 years) with mild asthma who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to either budesonide 50 µg-formoterol 3 µg, two actuations as needed (179 participants), or salbutamol 100 µg, two actuations as needed (181 participants).The researchers found that the annualized rate of asthma attacks was lower in the budesonide-formoterol group than in the salbutamol group (cluster-adjusted rates, 0.23 versus 0.41 per participant per year [relative rate, 0.55; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), 0.35 to 0.86; P = 0.012]). The number of participants with at least one adverse event was similar between the groups (91 percent in the budesonide-formoterol group and 92 percent in the salbutamol group; odds ratio, 0.79; 95 percent CI, 0.35 to 1.79)."This is a key step in addressing the evidence gap that exists between asthma management in adults and children," Hatter in a statement. "For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for symptom relief, can significantly reduce asthma attacks in children with mild asthma. This evidence-based treatment could lead to improved asthma outcomes for children worldwide."One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter