Possibilities and rationale for the use of a fixed combination of inhaled glucocorticoid or short-acting β2-agonist in bronchial asthma

Although there is a generally accepted consensus on the therapeutic objectives for bronchial asthma (BA) management and the availability of numerous effective treatment modalities, disease control remains suboptimal in a substantial proportion of patients globally. This review evaluates data from clinical studies assessing the therapeutic efficacy, safety, and rationale for the clinical use of the combination drug budesonide/salbutamol in routine practice. Publications indexed in the Google Scholar and Web of Science databases from 2000 to 2023 were analyzed as part of this study. Multiple investigations have highlighted the notably frequent and, in some cases, uncontrolled use of short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) among BA patients. A novel technology has been introduced for the delivery of a budesonide/salbutamol suspension via a single metered-dose inhaler (MDI), offering a potential alternative for emergency therapy. Furthermore, this combined formulation can be utilized alongside any volume of baseline asthma therapy to promptly alleviate acute symptoms and prevent severe exacerbations. Several studies have also demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the budesonide/salbutamol combination in preventing bronchial obstruction in asthma patients. The use of a fixed combination of budesonide/salbutamol as a rescue therapy in BA patients may mitigate the risks associated with SABA monotherapy and decrease the frequency of asthma exacerbations. Consequently, this approach could lead to a reduction in the use of systemic corticosteroids in BA treatment. KEYWORDS: bronchial asthma, short-acting β2-agonists, salbutamol, budesonide, fixed combination. FOR CITATION: Simonova O.V., Sobko E.A., Demko I.V. Possibilities and rationale for the use of a fixed combination of inhaled glucocorticoid or short-acting β2-agonist in bronchial asthma. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2025;9(2):133–137 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2025-9-2-6