Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects around 64 million people worldwide and is the fourth leading cause of death.¹ It is thought that 3 million people have COPD in the UK, with about 900,000 having been diagnosed and an estimated 2.1 million with disease that remains undiagnosed.² In addition, premature mortality from COPD in the UK is almost double the European average and as a result there has been considerable focus on improving outcomes for patients.³

One of the options for maintenance pharmacological treatment of COPD is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA).⁴ DTB has previously reviewed three inhaled LAMAs licensed in the UK for use by people with COPD: tiotropium and ▼glycopyrronium (both administered once daily), and ▼aclidinium bromide (administered twice daily).^5–8 ▼Umeclidinium bromide (Incruse) is another once daily LAMA, delivered using the Ellipta inhaler device, and is indicated as maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms in adult patients with COPD.⁹ Here we review the evidence for its use in the management of COPD.