Real-world use of beclometasone dipropionate and formoterol fumarate NEXThaler® and asthma control among adult asthmatic patients in Europe: The results of the Newton study

Purpose: The NEWTON study aims to describe clinical characteristics and evolution of asthma control of adult asthmatic patients treated with extrafine beclometasone dipropionate and formoterol fumarate (BDP/FF) NEXThaler® 100/6 μg. Subjects and methods: NEWTON (NCT05168995) is a European multinational, multicentre, observational, prospective cohort study that included adults with uncontrolled or poorly controlled asthma, starting BDP/FF NEXThaler® 100/6 μg treatment within 14 days of enrolment and with no use of extrafine formulations in the previous 6 months. Improvement of asthma control, lung function, quality of life (QoL), treatment adherence, and satisfaction with the device were assessed after 3 and 6 months from the enrolment visit. In addition, safety events were monitored. Results: 620 subjects were enrolled in the study. 423 completed the ACQ-5 questionnaire at enrolment and at least once during the following 6 months. 69.3 % of patients were initiated on maintenance and reliever treatment. At baseline, the median ACQ-5 score was 2.0. After 6 months the median ACQ-5 score had decreased significantly to 0.6 (p < 0.0001). Similarly, after 6 months 66.1 % of patients showed improved asthma control. The proportion of subjects with poorly controlled asthma fell from 65.1 % to 17.5 %. These improvements were consistent with the 3-month follow-up results and improved lung function, QoL, treatment adherence and device satisfaction. No new safety concerns were reported. Conclusion: Results of the NEWTON study confirm the effectiveness and safety of the extrafine fixed combination of BDP/FF NEXThaler® 100/6 μg in adults with uncontrolled asthma in a real-world setting.