Internal medicine

Budesonide/formoterol

Terbutaline

Open label

Randomized controlled trial

Asthma

Budesonide

Formoterol

Anesthesia

Medicine

The Lancet

In adults with mild to moderate asthma, budesonide–formoterol used as needed for symptom relief was more effective at preventing severe exacerbations than maintenance low-dose budesonide plus as-needed terbutaline. The findings support the 2019 Global Initiative for Asthma recommendation that inhaled corticosteroid–formoterol reliever therapy is an alternative regimen to daily low-dose inhaled corticosteroid for patients with mild asthma.

Budesonide-formoterol reliever therapy versus maintenance budesonide plus terbutaline reliever therapy in adults with mild to moderate asthma (PRACTICAL): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial