Advair is an inhaled prescription drug for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). It has come under fire over the last decade after a series of studies showed that its active ingredients could actually increase patients' risk of death from a serious asthma attack. In one study, the risk of death was actually higher for people using the drug than it was for those taking a placebo. In December of 2008, a panel of FDA medical experts voted that the risks of one of those active ingredients, salmeterol, outweighed its benefits in patients of all ages.

Advair treats asthma with a combination of two drugs that are designed to work together. Fluticasone, a steroid, fights inflammation of the airways, and salmeterol is a long-acting beta2-andrenergic agonist (LABA), which relaxes the muscles in the respiratory tract. The combination is intended to provide better asthma relief than either medication can alone. But starting in the mid-1990s, studies of salmeterol and other LABAs began to show that they actually increased bronchial spasms in many patients. While the medications reduced the frequency of asthma attacks, the attacks patients did undergo were more severe. In response, the FDA ordered Advair's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, to undertake a long-term study of the drug.

The results, released in 2003, showed that patients taking salmeterol were four times more likely to die in an asthma attack than patients taking a placebo. A later independent analysis showed that African-Americans have an even higher risk, although scientists are not sure why. The FDA ordered a black box warning added to Advair's label in 2003, cautioning patients that they face an increased risk of death when taking the medication. The drug's label warnings were increased again in 2005 and 2006. Dr. David Graham, an FDA drug safety scientist and whistleblower, told the December 2008 safety panel that salmeterol and other LABAs may be responsible for about 10% of asthma deaths over a decade and should be withdrawn from the market. Nonetheless, Advair is still for sale -- in fact, it is GlaxoSmithKline's best-selling product.

For updated information on Advair and other dangerous drugs, you can visit Carey, Danis & Lowe's drug injury blog.

Carey, Danis & Lowe is actively investigating cases of serious side effects and wrongful death from using Advair. If you believe Advair has seriously hurt you or someone you love, we would like to help. Our experienced defective drug lawyers help patients win payment of their past and future medical bills; compensation for the sudden loss of a loved one, a disability or increased suffering due to Advair use; and justice for deceptive or careless behavior by pharmaceutical companies. Based in St. Louis and Belleville, Ill., we handle pharmaceutical liability claims in the Midwest and around the United States. To set up a free consultation, please contact us online today or call 1-877-678-3400.