COPD Triple Therapy Treatment
There are many inhalers available today for the treatment of COPD and if you are using two inhalers or more daily to control your symptoms and help prevent exacerbations then this might be good news. While Trelegy has been around for a while now, Aztra-Zeneca has developed it’s own “triple therapy” medication called Breztri that was approved by the FDA June 2020 and is now being promoted in our area.
Both Trelegy and Breztri contain three types of inhaled medications that help control your symptoms daily, two types of bronchodilators that open up the airways and a corticosteroid that controls inflammation and mucus production. If you are using two or more inhalers each day to keep your COPD symptoms at bay then the thought of using a device that has three medications in one that you only have to take once or twice a day may be very appealing to you. It can help with compliance as well as you only have one inhaler to worry about so what to take when is typically not an issue. Here are the differences between the two “triple therapy” medications that may matter to you:
Trelegy
Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI)
Cannot be used with a spacer
Treatment of Asthma and COPD
Taken one puff per day
Breztri
Aerosphere (mist/MDI)
Can be used with a spacer
Treatment of COPD only
Taken 2 puffs twice per day
As with any medication, whether you will be able to take Breztri will depend on your insurance coverage, as well as your doctor’s approval, so you should contact them first. Please see the link below if it is not included in your plan’s formulary to see if you qualify for one of Astra-Zeneca’s programs. Do not automatically assume that you don’t. Also, your physician may have samples available so talk to them about whether this new medication may be a good alternative for you. Taking the right medications to control your COPD symptoms is the key to a better quality of life, so if what you are taking now is working then you should probably stick with it. But knowing there are options is also a good way to stay proactive and in control of your disease management.
Breathe Pennsylvania has a patient assistance program that can help pay for any of your inhaled respiratory medications for 2 months. For information call (724) 722-1750 or click here https://breathepa.org/patient-assistance/