Preference, satisfaction and critical errors with Genuair® and HandiHaler® in patients with COPD

Introduction: Treatment outcomes in COPD depend on patient preference and satisfaction with their inhaler and inhaler technique. Patients often use their inhaler incorrectly, making critical errors that mean they get no drug or a suboptimal dose, leading to under-treatment of their disease. Aims: To investigate patient preference, satisfaction and critical errors with Genuair® vs HandiHaler® after 2 weeks of daily use. Methods: This was an open-label, randomised, cross-over, multicentre study in patients with COPD. Patients inhaled placebo through Genuair® and HandiHaler® daily for 2 weeks in addition to their current medication. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who preferred Genuair® after 2 weeks. Additional endpoints for each inhaler were overall patient satisfaction on a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), percentage of patients making ≥1 critical errors, and willingness to continue using each inhaler rated from 0 (not) to 100 (definitely). Data were analysed using Mainland-Gart9s test or ANOVA. Results: The ITT population included 105 patients. Assessments at 2 weeks are shown in the table. Conclusions: Genuair® was associated with higher patient preference, satisfaction and fewer critical inhaler errors vs HandiHaler®. This study was supported by Almirall S.A., Barcelona, Spain, and Forest Laboratories, Inc., New York, USA.