GSK announces new COPD therapy at CIIE

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline announced on Friday during the ongoing China International Import Expo its latest innovative therapy treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been approved to be launched in the Chinese market.

It is the world's only therapy so far statistically proven to reduce all-cause mortality for patients suffering COPD, of which the incidence rate is at least 10 percent among people over 40 years old in the country, said Fabio Landazabal, senior vice-president of GSK Emerging Markets.

Medical experts said the inhaled therapy, a combination of three drugs, will bring new hope to those patients and help improve their medication compliance.

Usually patients need to take such therapies twice a day, but this new treatment requires only once use per day. The medicine comes into effect within five minutes, helping patients breathe easy with immediate, sustained efficacy.

"When a patient suffers from an acute attack of the disease, it takes only five minutes for the situation to be relieved with this medication. That means there is no need for patients to be sent to emergency medical treatment, which alleviates burdens on patients' families and society," said Zhou Xin, director of the respiratory department of Shanghai General Hospital.

Experts also urged COPD patients to take medication regularly to avoid an aucte outbreak of the disease, which harms patients' lungs, heart and brain.