Research In Brief

Alair study: Long-term efficacy of Asthmatx's bronchial thermoplasty system is demonstrated by five-year data from the Asthma Intervention Research (AIR) trial, presented May 19 at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting in New Orleans. Results showed that over five years, the percentage of patients reporting respiratory adverse events remained stable; hospitalizations and ER visits for respiratory symptoms remained stable; pulmonary function remained stable; and there were no incidences of pneumothorax, intubation, mechanical ventilation, cardiac arrhythmias or death as a result of treatment with Alair. The system, which delivers thermal energy to reduce excess airway smooth muscle associated with airway constriction, is the first device-based asthma treatment approved by FDA (1"The Gray Sheet" May 3, 2010)