The effect of indacaterol during an acute exacerbation of COPD

Some clinical trials have suggested that the inhaled long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) may be effective in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Since indacaterol, the first once-daily LABA to be developed for the regular treatment of COPD, exhibits fast onset of action and 24-h duration of bronchodilation, we have investigated its effects in patients with AECOPD managed in the emergency department. In a randomised controlled pilot trial, we have enrolled 29 consecutive patients with a recent (i.e., within ≤ 4 d) history of AECOPD and requiring hospitalization. All patients received a standard protocol consisting of ipratropium bromide aerosol 500 μg three times a day, intravenous methylprednisolone 20 mg twice-daily and, if indicated, oral levofloxacin 500 mg once-daily. Moreover, they were randomly allocated to one of the two 5-day treatment groups (indacaterol maleate 300 μg once-daily or salbutamol nebulizer 1250 μg three times a day). The administration of indacaterol 300 μg to patients admitted to emergency department for an AECOPD resulted in a greater improvement of pulmonary function compared with traditional therapy, without cardiovascular side effects. Our results suggest that indacaterol could be a useful option in the treatment of AECOPD. However, further larger double-blinded randomized clinical trials are needed to validate the intriguing results obtained in this setting.