Just an FYI type of thing:

New Warnings Added to Glaxo Asthma Drugs  


Thursday August 14, 12:15 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (GSK) asthma drugs Serevent and
Advair will carry new warnings about a small risk of life-threatening asthma
episodes or asthma-related deaths, the Food and Drug Administration said
Thursday.

The FDA, in a statement, said the benefits of treating patients with Serevent
or Advair continue to outweigh the risks when used according to instructions.

Both drugs contain an active ingredient called salmeterol, a long-acting beta
agonist that relaxes the bronchial muscles and allows patients to breathe more
easily.

Serevent was launched on the U.S. market in 1994, and the company started a
study of it in 1996 to address safety questions.

In January, GlaxoSmithKline announced it had halted the Serevent trial after
seeing more life-threatening asthma episodes, including deaths, in patients
treated with the drug rather than a placebo.

Patients should not stop taking either Advair or Serevent without consulting a
doctor because abruptly stopping it could lead to possibly life-threatening
disease flare-ups, the FDA said.

Officials at GlaxoSmithKline were not immediately available for comment.