FDA Bans Use Two Asthma Drugs

Greg Webb

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Federal drug experts, gathered by the Food and Drug Administration, have decided that the drugs Severent and Foradil should be banned from treating asthma, though they will not be banned from treating other approved pulmonary disorders like emphysema. It must be cautioned, however, that patients taking these drugs should not stop using them until consulting with a doctor for an alternative. These two drugs are produced for the prevention of asthma attacks but must be paired with steroids otherwise severe attacks could commence; this means there is an increased likelihood of death. About half of the doctors prescribing the two medications overlooked this steroid requirement, making the drug extremely lethal to consumers. Also, when the steroid was given along with the medication, as defined on the drug label, many patients fail to take the steroid. This oversight of doctors and incorrect use of patients presents a dangerous risk to American consumers and thus caused the ban.

The manufacturers of Severent and Foradil argue doctors would like the freedom to mix and match these drugs with steroids, however one of the drug experts countered that she did not want to prescribe a drug that could make the disease she was treating worse. Opponents of the ban, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, believe there should be no ban because it drastically decreases time spent in hospitals and helps improve the patient’s day-to-day life. Proponents of the ban, however, argue that although the drugs may make patients feel better, the benefits are not outweighing the costs - potential death.

asthma treatment, Advair and Symbicort, are not affected because they include a steroid in the single inhaler. The FDA is therefore considering requiring its drug manufacturers to begin extensive studies that will determine whether the two drugs are safe to be used by children.