DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) today announced results from a long-term study comparing SYMBICORT® (budesonide/ formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol 160/4.5 mcg with budesonide pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) 160 mcg in self-reported African American patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma. The data demonstrated that SYMBICORT treatment resulted in significant improvement in lung function compared to treatment with budesonide alone, and safety results indicated that patients in the SYMBICORT group had fewer exacerbations over the randomized study period compared to patients treated with budesonide.1-2 The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was similar between the two groups.2 The results were presented in a poster at the 2011 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in Denver.