Administration of 2 types of inhaled freon-free beclomethasone dipropionate in asthmatic patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare clinical efficiency of Freon-free ultra-fine metered dose aerosol of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) (Beclason ECO) and Easy-Breath system (Beclason ECO EB), or an inhaler with larger BDP particles (Beclojet).
Methods. The study involved 120 moderate to severe asthma (BA) patients (the average age, 50 yrs; the mean length of the disease, 12 to 13 yrs). More than 75 % of the Beclason and Beclojet group patients have received inhaled steroids when starting the study (the mean doses, 542 ± 308 and 641 ± 379 mcg daily, respectively). The patients have been treated with Beclason ECO 500 mcg daily or Beclojet 1 000 mcg daily (moderate BA), Beclason ECO EB 750 mcg daily or Beclojet 1 500 mcg daily (severe BA) for 12 wks.
Results. FEV₁ increased by 18 and 20 % in Beclason ECO / Beclason ECO EB group and Beclojet group, correspondingly; FVC increased by the 11 and 21 %, and FEF_25–75 grew by 26 and 24 % correspondingly by the end of the study. Daytime symptoms improved by 1.6 and 1.3 scores in the Beclason ECO / Beclason ECO EB patients and Beclojet patients correspondingly and nighttime symptoms improved by 1.0 score in both the groups. The need in beta-2-agonists reduced during the study by 3.1 and 3.4 doses daily correspondingly in the groups. Quality of life improved in both the groups, the difference between the groups was not significant. The inhaled drugs were well-tolerated, rate of unwanted events was low and quite similar in both the groups. Therefore, the freon-free ultra-fine aerosols of BDP (Beclason ECO and Beclason ECO EB) have the comparable clinical efficiency with freon-free non-ultra-fine aerosol (Beclojet) in the dose ratio 2 : 1.