Ann Intern Med

Generic vs. brand-name fluticasone-salmeterol for COPD treatment: How do they compare?

August 15, 2023

Use of generic and brand-name fluticasone-salmeterol was associated with similar outcomes among patients with COPD treated in routine practice.

• A 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort study compared the effectiveness and safety of generic (Wixela Inhub) and brand-name (Advair Diskus) fluticasone-salmeterol among patients with COPD treated in routine care.
• Among 45,369 patients (27,305 Advair Diskus users and 18,064 Wixela Inhub users), 10,012 matched pairs were identified for the primary analysis.
• Compared with Advair Diskus use, Wixela Inhub use was associated with a nearly identical incidence of first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97 [95% CI, 0.90 to 1.04]) and first pneumonia hospitalization (HR, 0.99 [CI, 0.86 to 1.15]).

Source: Feldman WB, et al. (2023, Aug 8). Ann Intern Med. Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Generic Versus Brand-Name Fluticasone-Salmeterol to Treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37549393/