The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group has recommended use of GlaxoSmithKline’s Anoro Ellipta (umeclidinium/vilanterol) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Anoro is a once-daily treatment combining umeclidinium, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and vilanterol, a long-acting beta agonist (LABA), delivered by GSK’s Ellipta inhaler.
The AWMSG has concluded that the inhaler, which was launched in the UK last September, should be considered an option for relieving symptoms of COPD in adult patients, allowing access to a combination of two bronchodilators in a single dry powder inhaler.
Around 900,000 people are living with a COPD diagnosis in the UK, but research suggests it affects as many as 3.7 million individuals.
Improving care in respiratory disease is a key priority in Wales, which has recently announced a new three-year Respiratory Health Delivery Plan.
