User:Mr. Ibrahem/Budesonide/formoterol

Budesonide/formoterol, sold under the brand name Symbicort among others, is a combination medication used in the management of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It contains budesonide, a steroid and formoterol, a long-acting β 2 -agonist (LABA). The product monograph does not support its use for sudden worsening or treatment of active bronchospasm. However, a 2020 review of the literature does support such use. It is used by breathing in the medication.

Common side effects include throat pain, influenza, runny nose, and a yeast infection of the mouth. There were concerns that the LABA component increases the risk of death in children with asthma, however these concerns were removed in 2017. Therefore, this combination is only recommended in those who are not controlled on an inhaled steroid alone. There is tentative evidence that typical doses of inhaled steroids and LABAs are safe in pregnancy. Both formoterol and budesonide are excreted in breast-milk.

Budesonide/formoterol was approved for medical use in the United States in 2006. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In the United States, as of 2017, the wholesale cost of an inhaler is about US$30. In the United Kingdom, the cost as of 2015, was about GB£35 for a unit with 120 doses. In 2017, it was the 74th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than ten million prescriptions.