ORLANDO, Fla., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study that compared Xopenex(R) (levalbuterol HCl inhalation solution) (LEV) with racemic albuterol (RAC) in the treatment of acute asthma was presented today at the 100th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society.
Results from the study revealed that improved forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), a standard measure of lung function, was greater in the Xopenex treated patients, both after the first dose (LEV 0.504 L vs RAC 0.433 L; p=0.021) and averaged over the three-hour acute treatment period (LEV 0.654 L vs RAC 0.580 L; p=0.038).
"When patients have an acute attack of asthma, it can be life-threatening," said Richard Nowak, M.D., Vice Chair, Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, and the study's lead author. "The use of medications that are effective in the treatment of that acute attack are important in improving the outcome for the patient."
About Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by inflammation and constriction of the lower bronchial airways. Worldwide, there are approximately 150 million sufferers of reversible obstructive airways disease such as asthma, with over 20 million sufferers in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About Henry Ford Hospital
Henry Ford Hospital is the flagship hospital for Henry Ford Health System, one of the country's largest health care systems. Henry Ford is known across the country for clinical excellence and innovations in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and treatment for prostate, breast and lung cancers. The hospital also is recognized for its multi-organ transplantation center and is one of the busiest trauma centers in Michigan.
CONTACT: Chris Vancheri David Olejarz PR21/On-site Henry Ford Health System 973-865-5516 313-874-4094
Henry Ford HospitalCONTACT: Chris Vancheri of PR21/On-site, +1-973-865-5516, for Henry FordHospital; or David Olejarz of Henry Ford Health System, +1-313-874-4094
