Advair, a combination of salmeterol (Serevent) and fluticasone (Flovent) is one of the best selling Drugs in the world. Salmeterol is a bronchodilator which dilates the airways and fluticasone is a steroid which reduces airway inflammation. However, the drug has come under scrutiny because of a recent report that Advair may actually increase Asthma deaths. The manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, however, has rejected the findings and calls the article extremely irresponsible and riddled with inaccuracies.

Forbes magazine had in an article on 6th April, reported that "growing evidence suggests that a small percentage of patients--perhaps 4,000 people a year, by one doctor's estimate--may be dying because of Advair or its Serevent component".

It quotes Dr. Shelley Salpeter, a clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University who argues who says both Advair and Serevent should be recalled. Dr. Shelley reviewed the results of 19 previous trials of Serevent-style drugs and found that patients have twice the rate of asthma hospitalizations, twice the rate of life-threatening asthma and four times as many deaths as patients who are not on those drugs.

Apparently, Advair and Serevent cause four of every five asthma-related deaths each year. "These drugs make asthma worse," Dr. Shelley says. By some estimates, asthma kills roughly 5,000 Americans a year. This extrapolates to 4000 asthma deaths related to these drugs.

In response, Glaxo says its detractors are exaggerating the risks. "The safety and efficacy of Advair are extremely well-established with regulators and physicians across the world," A Glaxo spokeswoman said. "The data we have are inconclusive," says Kathy A. Rickard, a Glaxo vice president, echoing early responses by Wyeth about its Redux diet drug and Merck & Co. about its Vioxx painkiller.

Last month GlaxoSmithKline had reached an agreement with the U.S. regulator to update Advair's label with a new warning advising doctors to limit the use of the drug to patients who don't benefit from other asthma drugs, or who are severe cases.