Current position of new fixed-dose combination of tiotropium and olodaterol - its role in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Czech Republic

COPD is a serious pulmonary disease with rising global socioeconomic impact. From the perspective of the Czech Republic COPD was responsible for 21 000 acute hospitalizations and 3 500 deaths, mortality reaches 33/100 000 in 2015. Early stages of disease may be associated with a significant reduction of exercise capacity and the reduction of activities of daily living. Moreover early stages of bronchial obstruction are associated with the fastest lung function decline. Finally, early elimination of the risk of inhalation exposure is able to influence the course of the disease and to reduce its mortality. Most current treatment strategies and national recommendations attributed central role to bronchodilator drugs. Long-acting bronchodilators (LAMA and LABA) creates an essential component of the treatment of symptomatic individuals in the Czech COPD guidelines as well. Actual version of this document constitutes as standard therapy: long-lasting inhaled bronchodilators, targeted efforts to eliminate inhalation risk, vaccination, regular exercise, repeated inhalation technique training, identification, and treatment of relevant comorbidities. All other drugs (inhaled-corticosteroids, mucoactive medication, roflumilast, antibiotics), and non-pharmacological (lung volume reductions, nutrition support, long-term oxygen, home non-invasive ventilation, lung transplantation, palliative care) procedures are intended for a specific subgroups of patients only. The newest type of bronchodilator therapy is represented by a fixed dual bronchodilation. Currently we can use four original drug combinations: titropium + olodaterol, glycopyrronium + indacaterol, umeklidinium + vilanterol and aclidinium + formoterol in the Czech Republic. This area is an enterprising research. For example comprehensive scientific program covering eight studies on 15 000 COPD patients (TOviTO) assess the therapeutic benefits of tiotropium + olodaterolu in terms of lung function, quality of life, exercise tolerance, daily physical activity and the incidence of acute exacerbations. Meanwhile the published results of analyzed studies TONADO, OTEMTO, VIVACITO, and the first results of the study DYNAGITO have showed that fixed dual bronchodilation should be a mandatory treatment to all the symptomatic COPD patients. Unfortunately "face to face" comparison of different drug combinations is still missing. However, the treatment with tiotropium + olodaterol combination has been demonstrated to significantly (35 %) reduce the occurrence of clinically significant deterioration, which may lead to the stabilization of this multicomponent disease.

Keywords: COPD; hospitalizations; inhaled bronchodilators; mortality; treatment