Once-daily Indacaterol/glycopyrronium Reduces the Rate and Risk of Moderate or Severe Exacerbations Compared with Twice-Daily Salmeterol/fluticasone in a Subset of Gold Froup D COPD Patients with a History of >= 2 Exacerbations or 1 Hospitalization: the FLAME Study

One of the major goals of COPD treatment is to reduce the severity and frequency of exacerbations.1 Patients categorized into Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Group D have severe-to-very severe airflow limitation, and/or exacerbations, and significant symptoms.1 LABA/ICS or/and a LAMA are recommended as the first choice treatment for Group D patients.1 FLAME was the first study that demonstrated the superiority of indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY), a LABA/LAMA combination, in reducing exacerbations, improving lung function, and health status versus salmeterol/fluticasone (SAL/FLU), a LABA/ICS combination, in moderate-to-very severe COPD patients with a history of exacerbations.2 Here, we present a subset analysis of GOLD Group D patients who had a history of ≥2 exacerbations or 1 hospitalization for exacerbation. Effects of IND/GLY vs. SAL/FLU on the rate and risk of moderate or severe exacerbations were compared.