▼Umeclidinium: another LAMA for COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects around 64 million people worldwide and is the fourth leading cause of death. 1 It is thought that 3 million people have COPD in the UK, with about 900,000 having been diagnosed and an estimated 2.1 million with disease that remains undiagnosed. 2 In addition, premature mortality from COPD in the UK is almost double the European average and as a result there has been considerable focus on improving outcomes for patients. 3 One of the options for maintenance pharmacological treatment of COPD is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA). 4 DTB has previously reviewed three inhaled LAMAs licensed in the UK for use by people with COPD: tiotropium and ▼glycopyrronium (both administered once daily), and ▼aclidinium bromide (administered twice daily). 5–8 ▼Umeclidinium bromide (Incruse) is another once daily LAMA, delivered using the Ellipta inhaler device, and is indicated as maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms in adult patients with COPD. 9 Here we review the evidence for its use in the management of COPD.