Serevent®, a prescription asthma drug, was approved in 1994 for the treatment of asthma and prevention of bronchospasms in patients 12 years of age and older.
In recent testimony before the Senate advisory hearing on Vioxx, David Graham, an FDA scientist, raised concerns about asthma side effects and deaths in Serevent® patients. According to the USA Today article by Rita Rubin, "The GlaxoSmithKline asthma drug...dilates breathing passages." In essence, the active ingredient seems to be capable of causing an asthma attack in some patients.
In 2003, Serevent began carrying a "black box" warning label
regarding the results of a large U.S. study that indicates a small but
significant increase in asthma-related deaths in Serevent patients.
Serevent® and Advair® asthma medications are under scrutiny
by the FDA.
