The largest biopsy study conducted to date demonstrates that a lower dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with the addition of a long acting beta2-agonist (LABA) is as effective in maintaining control of airway inflammation as a medium-dose ICS alone in patients with moderate asthma. The study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), compared Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) 100/50 mcg with fluticasone propionate (FP) 250 mcg over a 24-week treatment period in patients requiring a medium-dose ICS.