Hydrofluoroalkane preparations of fluticasone propionate

Abstract

Fluticasone propionate is approved for the long-term maintenance therapy of persistent asthma of all severities, and its safety and efficacy has been well established in clinical trials and practice. With the need to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as propellants in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellants have been introduced as a safer, environmentally friendly alternative. A HFA formulation of fluticasone propionate has been developed as a microgram-equivalent replacement for the traditional CFC pMDI. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the fluticasone propionate HFA pMDI is an acceptable clinical alternative for the CFC pMDI with similar safety and efficacy.