An advocacy group warns a possible new asthma treatment could be dangerous.
According to the nonprofit advocacy group Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), a new over-the-counter asthma inhaler that is currently being considered for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will endanger the lives of many patients across the country by encouraging what they see as substandard treatment.
Early next week, the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and Pulmonary Allergy Drugs Committee will hold a meeting to consider whether or not to move forward with an over-the-counter epinephrine inhaler that is currently being made by Armstrong Pharmaceuticals. In a statement released by AANMA President Tonya Winders, the new inhaler will “send the message that asthma is easy to self-diagnose and self-treat.”
Many patients might not be aware of the actual dangers that asthma presents, Winders argues, despite it being a chronic disease that is responsible for the deaths of 10 people in the United States everyday. It is not something that should be treated like it is a simple cold, but those who suffer from the breathing illness should consult with trained physicians to determine the best course of action to remain safe and healthy.
Winders will attend the joint FDA meeting next week, and bring with her the list of AANMA’s concerns with the possible new asthma treatment. The concerns of the group include:
- the amount of doses the canister will contain,
- over-the-counter medicine is not a recommended treatment by the National Institutes of Health’s asthma guidelines.
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