A Comparison of Symbicort® Single Inhaler Therapy and Conventional Best Practice for the Treatment of Persistent Asthma

A Comparison of Symbicort® Single Inhaler Therapy (Symbicort Turbuhaler® 160/4.5mg, 1 Inhalation Two Times a Day (b.i.d.) Plus as Needed) and Conventional Best Practice for the Treatment of Persistent Asthma in Adults a -26-week, Randomized, Open-label, Parallel-group, Multicentre Study

The primary objective is to compare the efficacy of Symbicort Single inhaler Therapy with treatment according to conventional best practice in adult patients with persistent asthma.

A secondary objective is to collect safety data for treatment wtih Symbicort Single inhaler Therapy in adult patients with persistent asthma.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed informed consent form. If the patient cannot read and write, verbal consent from the patient is required.
• Ability to read and write in Turkish
• Female or male outpatients aged 18 years
• Minimum of 3 months history of asthma, diagnosed according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) definition
• Prescribed inhaled glucocorticosteroid (GCS) at a dose of 320mg/day and within the approved label for the relevant drug during the last 3 months prior to Visit 1
• Either: daily maintenance treatment with both inhaled GCS and long-acting b2-agonist (LABA) or daily treatment with inhaled GCS alone (i.e. without LABA); and a history of suboptimal asthma control the month prior to enrollment as judged by the investigator; and use of 3 Peak Expiratory Flow inhalations ofas needed medication for symptom relief during the last 7 days before enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous treatment with Symbicort Single inhaler Therapy
• Use of any b-blocking agent, including eye drops
• Use of oral GCS as maintenance treatment
• Known or suspected hypersensitivity to study therapy or excipients
• A history of smoking 10 pack years
• Pregnancy, breast-feeding or planned pregnancy during the study. Fertile women not using acceptable contraceptive measures, as judged by the investigator
• Any significant disease or disorder, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may put the patient at risk because of participating in the study