Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide) has launched as an as-needed treatment to reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations in people aged 18 years and older. Airsupra is a first-in-class, pressurized metered-dose inhaler combination rescue medication containing albuterol, a short-acting beta2-agonist, and budesonide, an anti-inflammatory inhaled corticosteroid.

“Current albuterol rescue inhalers alleviate acute symptoms, but do not treat the underlying inflammation in asthma. The approval of Airsupra means that for the first time, adults with asthma in the United States have a rescue treatment to manage both their symptoms and the inflammatory nature of their disease,” said Bradley E. Chipps, M.D., past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and medical director of Capital Allergy & Respiratory Disease Center.

Airsupra was approved in January 2023 based on results from the MANDALA and DENALI phase 3 trials.

• In MANDALA, Airsupra significantly reduced the risk of severe exacerbations compared with albuterol in patients with moderate to severe asthma when used as an as-needed rescue medication in response to symptoms.
• In DENALI, Airsupra significantly improved lung function compared to the individual components albuterol and budesonide in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma.

AstraZeneca is offering a copay assistance program where eligible commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0. For patients with commercial insurance who do not cover Airsupra or who have restriction such step-edit, prior authorization, or NDC block, they may be able to pay as low as $15 for each inhaler.