Budesonide-formoterol reliever outperforms salbutamol in children with mild asthma

Budesonide-formoterol reliever led to a reduction in asthma attacks compared with salbutamol in children aged 5 to 15 years with mild asthma who required inhalers.

Prof. Richard Beasley (Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, New Zealand) presented results from the CARE (ACTRN12620001091998) trial, a 52-week, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, randomised controlled study comparing budesonide-formoterol 50/3 µg to salbutamol 100 µg administered as 2 puffs when needed [1]. Participants included children aged 5 to 15 years with doctor-diagnosed mild asthma receiving short-acting beta agonists. In cases of uncontrolled asthma, the medication could be stepped up with additional puffs, inhaled corticosteroids, or systemic corticosteroids. The primary outcome was the rate of asthma attacks, and 360 children were included in the trial.

Budesonide-formoterol resulted in an attack rate of 0.23 attacks/participant/year compared with 0.41 attacks/participant/year with salbutamol (relative rate 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.86; P=0.011). Furthermore, budesonide-formoterol also led to a numerically smaller rate of severe asthma attacks (requiring systemic corticosteroids) compared with salbutamol (relative rate 0.60; 95% CI 0.32-1.14; P=0.11). The number of children who developed at least 1 adverse event was similar between groups (91% vs 92%, OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.35-1.79).

“In children aged 5 to 15 years with mild asthma, budesonide-formoterol reliever monotherapy is superior to salbutamol for reducing asthma attacks,” concluded Prof. Beasley. “Further research should explore the treatment effect of inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol reliever therapy in children across the range of asthma severity.”

1. Hatter L, et al. Budesonide-formoterol versus salbutamol as reliever therapy in children with mild asthma (CARE): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial. ERS Congress, 27 September–1 October 2025, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Medical writing support was provided by Mihai Surducan, PhD.

Copyright ©2025 Medicom Medical Publishers



Posted on 1 October 20253 November 2025