New treatment options for mild asthma

There has been an update to the way we approach treating mild asthma, with the inclusion of a dual purpose reliever (budesonide/formoterol): which relieves symptoms and reduces the risk of serious flare-ups by treating inflamed airways.

There are now three options to manage symptoms in mild asthma for adults and adolescents over 12 years in Australia. 

1. Regular low-dose preventer plus blue/grey reliever as needed 
2. Dual purpose reliever (budesonide/formoterol) to be used as needed  
3. Blue/grey reliever to be used as needed to treat symptoms 

Read more about the new dual purpose reliever treatment option here.

Download know your options – updated treatment options for mild asthma

New medications

Enerzair Breezhaler

Asthma Australia welcomes Enerzair Breezhaler, the first triple therapy in fixed dose combination to be made available in Australia for people with difficult to treat asthma. Enerzair Breezhaler contains the active ingredients (indacaterol, glycopyrronium, mometasone furoate). People prescribed this medication for the management of their asthma will need to take it once per day, every day for this medicine to be effective.

This medication can be prescribed by a general practitioner and is only suitable for patients 18 years and older.

Read more in our latest media release here.

Dupixent (dupilumab)

Asthma Australia welcomes Dupixent (dupliumab), a new monoclonal antibody therapy for people who live with severe uncontrolled asthma caused by type 2 inflammation (allergic or eosinophilic).

Dupixent (dupliumab) should be prescribed by a specialist experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, for adults and adolescents 12 years and over, and presents another treatment option, now within greater reach of more Australians through the PBS listing. The medication is also suitable for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) and has also recently been listed under the PBS for this indication.

To read more about Dupixent (dupliumab) and its treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma, read the joint media release by Sanofi and Asthma Australia or view our Dupixent explainer page here.

Other recent changes

• Updates to the National Asthma Council Australia’s Asthma Handbook (Version 2.1 2020)
• Salbutamol puffers Asmol, Ventolin, and Zempreon now with a dose counter
• Active ingredient prescribing now in place
• Fostair (combination preventer inhaler) for moderate to severe asthma (launch December 1, 2020)
• A new Bricanyl Turbuhaler was introduced in Australia on February 1, 2021
• Spiriva Respimat device has been redesigned

GSK is a campaign partner of Asthma Australia and has not been involved in the development of this webpage.