Adverse event reporting information can be found at the bottom of the page

Anti-Inflammatory Reliever (AIR)

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AIR-only at GINA treatment steps 1 and 2 with WockAIR® 160/4.5mcg offers:

  • Significant reduction in risk of asthma exacerbations compared to SABA containing regimens 3-7
  • A simple SABA free inhaled regimen– your patients will only need one inhaler for AIR 1,8
  • A licensed low dose ICS/formoterol combination inhaler aligned with NICE Guidelines for use of AIR12
  • A patient and carbon friendly device10
  • A 32% lower NHS list price versus Symbicort11

The term ‘ani-inflammatory reliever’ or ‘AIR’ reflects the dual purpose of low dose ICS/formoterol combination inhalers – to provide rapid symptom relief whilst simultaneously treating the underlying inflammation of asthma.1

‘AIR only’ with low dose ICS/formoterol in steps 1-2 means that the patient uses their inhaler as needed for symptom relief without any maintenance treatment.1

NICE recommends AIR with a low dose ICS/formoterol combination inhaler for initial management of newly diagnosed asthma in people aged 12 and over.12

Formoterol has been shown to improve FEV1 as quickly as salbutamol2 which means it can effectively replace SABA as symptom reliever in any inhaled treatment regimen. This allows alignment with NICE Guidelines which state ‘Do not prescribe short-acting beta2 agonists to people of any age with asthma without a concomitant prescription of an ICS.’ 12

‘AIR only’ has been shown to reduce the risk of severe exacerbations compared with SABA alone (0.07 vs 0.20 events/patient year: rate ratio 0.36 (0.27, 0.49) p<0.001)3

AIR Only

Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Adverse events should also be reported to Wockhardt UK. Please contact us or email us at drug.safety@wockhardt.co.uk

REFERENCES

1. Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, 2023. Updated July 2023. Available from ginasthma.org

2. Seberova  and Andersson A Oxis1 (formoterol given by Turbuhaler) showed as rapid an onset of action as salbutamol given by a pMDI. Resp Med (2000) 94, 607±611 doi:10.1053/rmed.2000.0788

3. O’Byrne PM, FitzGerald JM, Bateman ED, et al. Inhaled combined budesonide-formoterol as needed in mild asthma. N Engl J Med 2018; 378: 1865–1876.

4. Bateman ED, Reddel HK, O’Byrne PM, et al. As-needed budesonide-formoterol versus maintenance budesonide in mild asthma. N Engl J Med 2018; 378: 1877–1887

5. Beasley R, Holliday M, Reddel HK, et al. Controlled trial of budesonide-formoterol as needed for mild asthma. N Engl J Med 2019; 380: 2020–2030

6. Hardy J, Baggott C, Fingleton J, et al. Budesonide-formoterol reliever therapy versus maintenance budesonide plus terbutaline reliever therapy in adults with mild to moderate asthma (PRACTICAL): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2019; 394: 919–928.

7. Hatter L, Bruce P, Braithwaite I et al ICS-formoterol reliever versus ICS and short-acting β2-agonist reliever in asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ERJOpenRes2021;7:00701-2020

8. WockAIR® 160/4.5mcg Summary of Product Characteristics

9. Virchow JC, Weuthen T, Harmer QJ, Jones S. Identifying the features of an easy-to-use and intuitive dry powder inhaler for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapy: results from a 28-day device handling study, and an airflow resistance study. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2014;11(12):1849–57

10. Janson C, et al. Thorax 2020;75:82–84. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213744. Carbon footprint impact of the choice of inhalers for asthma and COPD

11. MIMS May 25

12. NICE Guideline: Asthma: Diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management 27 Nov 2024 Available at www.nice.org/guidance/ng245

ABBREVIATIONS

AIR-anti-inflammatory reliever; MART – Maintenance and Reliever Therapy; GINA-Global Initiative for Asthma; ICS- inhaled corticosteroid; SABA -short acting beta agonist; FEV- forced expiratory volume

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Job code: AIR06/25 July 2025