Clinical outcomes for patients suffering from asthma are better with oral controllers than with inhaled corticosteroids.

This finding was disclosed by Mayo Clinic Proceedings that were published in a peer-reviewed comparative effectiveness study performed by HealthCore, Inc. in its August edition.

The study was initiated for ensuring that the drug formulary of WellPoint’s National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee for asthma therapies was aligned with the uses and outcomes in the real world.

From News-Medical.Net:

The study, “Impact of Asthma Controller Medications on Clinical, Economic and Patient-Reported Outcomes,” revealed that users of oral controllers were significantly better at adhering to their medication than users of inhaled corticosteroids and probably obtained greater treatment benefit. After the study was complete in 2008, WellPoint’s National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee chose to keep the oral controller used by the vast majority of its members on the same preferred formulary tier and lift its prior authorization requirement.

Asthma is a common and chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that affects more than 22 million Americans. In 2004, it resulted in 14.7 million outpatient visits, 1.8 million emergency department visits and nearly 500,000 hospitalizations.

“It’s important for physicians and health plans alike to know that ‘one size fits all’ does not apply when treating asthma patients,” said Singer. “These results speak to the power of comparative effectiveness research and its ability to give physicians the information they need to customize treatment for patients in the real world.”

Lead authors of the HealthCore study were HealthCore researchers Hiangkiat Tan, Chaitanya Sarawate and Dr. Joseph Singer. Other authors included Dr. Kurt Elward, Dr. Rubin Cohen, Dr. Brian Smart, Dr. Michael Busk, Dr. James Lustig, Dr. Jeana O’Brien, and Dr. Michael Schatz.