Medicines

In order to increase affordability and accessibility of asthma medicines in as many countries as possible, ADF has chosen to recommend two essential medicines:

Inhaled corticosteroid:

• Inhaled Beclomethasone 250 µg

Inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist:

• Inhaled Salbutamol 100 µg

The choice was based on the following arguments. These products are:

1. Demonstrated to have high efficacy and cost effectiveness, and low toxicity;  
2. Included in the List of Essential Medicines of the World Health Organization and a number of low- and middle-income countries;
3. Recommended as first line medicines in all international asthma guidelines;
4. Recommended for the standardised treatment of asthma in the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) Asthma Guide (see Management of asthma: A guide to the essentials of good clinical practice);
5. Used in most of the countries that are implementing the Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL).

Three other products are also recommended: 

Inhaled corticosteroids:

• Inhaled Budesonide 200 µg 

• Inhaled Fluticasone 125 µg 

Inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist:

• Inhaled Terbutaline  250 µg