Breo Ellipta alternatives: What can I take instead of Breo Ellipta?

In this article:

• What can I take in place of Breo Ellipta?
• Compare the cost of Breo Ellipta alternatives
• Top 5 Breo Ellipta alternatives
• OTC alternatives
• Natural alternatives
• How to switch
• How to choose the right asthma or COPD treatment
• FAQs

In this article

• What can I take in place of Breo Ellipta?
• Compare the cost of Breo Ellipta alternatives
• Top 5 Breo Ellipta alternatives
• OTC alternatives
• Natural alternatives
• How to switch
• How to choose the right asthma or COPD treatment
• FAQs

Breo Ellipta is the brand name of an inhaler that contains two medications used to control asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease): Fluticasone furoate is a corticosteroid, and vilanterol is a long-acting beta agonist (LABA). This combination inhaler is also available as a generic medicine called fluticasone furoate-vilanterol. While an effective treatment for some people, Breo Ellipta may not be the best option for all people managing persistent asthma or COPD, whether because of cost, insurance coverage, side effects, or uncontrolled symptoms. We’ll cover some Breo Ellipta alternatives to discuss with your healthcare provider.

RELATED: COPD vs. asthma: Which is worse?

What can I take in place of Breo Ellipta?

There are other options available to treat asthma and COPD symptoms that do not improve with Breo Ellipta. Other combinations of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) include Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, AirDuo RespiClick, Dulera, and Symbicort. And like Breo Ellipta, a few have affordable generic alternatives. If your symptoms aren’t well controlled with an ICS/LABA inhaler alone, a healthcare provider may recommend stepping up to a triple-therapy inhaler like Trelegy Ellipta, which adds a third medication (a LAMA) to the mix. The best Breo Ellipta alternative depends on the condition being treated, insurance coverage, and your individual response to treatment.

RELATED: Breo Ellipta side effects and how to avoid them

Top 5 Breo Ellipta alternatives

The following are some of the most common alternatives to Breo Ellipta.

1. Advair (fluticasone/salmeterol)

Advair is a brand name of an inhaled medication that is also available as a generic called fluticasone/salmeterol. Like Breo Ellipta, Advair contains two medications (inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta agonist) to help decrease inflammation and open and relax the airways. Advair is available as a metered dose inhaler (Advair HFA) and as a dry powder inhaler (Advair Diskus). These devices differ in how they are administered, so it is important to learn the correct technique. Advair Diskus can be used to help manage asthma and COPD, while Advair HFA is FDA-approved for asthma, but not COPD. For people who require two medications, having them in one inhaler can help improve compliance. This may be a suitable alternative for those seeking a generic combination medication with choices between types of inhalers.

RELATED: 12 things to know about Advair

2. Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol)

Symbicort is a brand name of an inhaled medication that has a generic called Breyna or budesonide/formoterol. Symbicort is also made up of a combination of a corticosteroid and LABA. This medication can be used to manage asthma and COPD symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath. Combination medications, like Symbicort, can help reduce COPD exacerbations that could lead to hospitalizations. This inhaler is a metered dose inhaler that may be a suitable alternative for those who need a combination treatment.

RELATED: 6 ways to save money on Symbicort

3. Dulera (mometasone/formoterol)

Dulera is a brand-name inhaler that is currently not available as a generic medication. This inhaler contains a combination of a corticosteroid (mometasone) and a LABA (formoterol). Dulera is FDA-approved to manage asthma and has been used off-label for the maintenance of COPD. Combination inhalers, like Dulera, are typically used when symptoms are not adequately controlled with just an inhaled corticosteroid or the severity of asthma warrants combination treatment. Dulera is a metered dose inhaler (MDI) and may be a well-suited alternative for adults or children 5 years and older.

RELATED: How much is Dulera without insurance?

4. AirDuo RespiClick (fluticasone/salmeterol)

AirDuo RespiClick is a combination inhaler that can help manage asthma in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older. The brand-name drug is no longer available, but generic versions are available. This inhaler contains a combination of a corticosteroid (fluticasone) and a LABA (salmeterol). This alternative contains the same two active ingredients as Advair, but has some key differences. AirDuo inhalers contain lower doses of salmeterol and have a unique inhaler device mechanism. This inhaler is described as an inhalation-driven, multi-dose dry powder inhaler (MDPI).

5. Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone/umeclidinium/vilanterol)

Trelegy Ellipta is a triple combination inhaler that can be used for either asthma or COPD maintenance. This inhaler is made up of three different medications that include an ICS (fluticasone furoate), a long-acting anticholinergic (umeclidinium bromide), and a LABA (vilanterol). Currently, Trelegy Ellipta does not have a generic medication available. This alternative may be an option for people who need additional treatment support when dual combination inhalers aren’t adequately controlling symptoms.

Over-the-counter alternatives to Breo Ellipta

There is no over-the-counter (OTC) medication that replicates the way Breo Ellipta works. Although OTC rescue inhalers, such as Primatene Mist, can help with sudden symptoms, they can’t help treat the underlying inflammation that Breo Ellipta helps control, and cannot be used as rescue inhalers.

Natural alternatives to Breo Ellipta

While there aren’t any well-supported natural alternatives, like vitamins or supplements, that can substitute for prescription medications, there are lifestyle changes that can help manage symptoms. According to the American Lung Association, it’s important to recognize and minimize asthma triggers that can worsen asthma symptoms. By instilling lifestyle changes or diet modifications in addition to prescribed treatment, people with asthma can help control their asthma symptoms.

In addition, learning and utilizing breathing techniques may be a useful alternative remedy for asthma. Practicing pursed-lip breathing and belly breathing exercises for five to 10 minutes daily may help increase oxygen levels and clear the lungs of accumulated stale air. For COPD, keeping up with physical activity is essential for all levels of disease severity and lung function. People may consider pulmonary rehabilitation as this remedy can improve shortness of breath, health status, and exercise tolerance.

RELATED: 7 home remedies for asthma—and what to do if they don’t work

How to switch to a Breo Ellipta alternative

1. Do not suddenly stop taking Breo Ellipta

Before stopping Breo Ellipta, make an asthma or COPD maintenance plan with a healthcare professional to make sure to avoid worsening lung symptoms. After a plan has been set in place, Breo Ellipta can be safely discontinued and replaced with the new treatment.

2. Learn how to use the new inhaler

If the alternative medication is an inhaler, it’s important to learn the proper way to use it, as there are a variety of different devices with different directions. Improper technique could prevent the medicine from being delivered correctly. Healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, can teach the proper technique for inhalers and communicate if and how often the specific brand of inhaler needs to be primed. Priming makes sure the dosing chamber of an inhaler is filled with the correct amount of medicine. It’s important to review the prescribing information that comes with the inhaler and ask for medical advice if needed.

3. Do not use Breo for sudden asthma attacks

Rescue inhalers are the treatment for sudden asthma symptoms like wheezing, trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, or coughing. Rescue inhalers work fast to relieve symptoms, whereas Breo Ellipta is not used for acute attacks. Examples of rescue inhalers for the treatment of asthma include albuterol (Ventolin HFA) and levalbuterol (Xopenex).

4. Discuss all medications with a healthcare provider

Prior to switching from Breo Ellipta to an alternative, it’s important that a healthcare provider has reviewed a medication list including prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and supplements. Certain alternatives have drug interactions that must be avoided.

5. Continue proper oral care with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) alternatives

Breo Ellipta and alternatives that contain a corticosteroid (such as Advair, Dulera, and Symbicort) have an important step to remember when using them. It’s important to rinse the mouth with water, without swallowing, and spit out. This step can reduce the increased risk of a fungal infection called oral candidiasis (oral thrush).

How to choose the right asthma or COPD treatment

It may take some trial and error to find the asthma or COPD treatment that is best for you. If Breo is not right for you, there are many options that you can discuss with your healthcare provider. There are other two-drug combination inhalers like Symbicort or Advair, as well as three-drug combination inhalers like Trelegy. Only your healthcare provider can determine which drug is best for you, taking into account your medical conditions, symptoms, and cost and insurance coverage of various inhalers.

Expert takeaway

“Always keep an open line of communication with your healthcare provider regarding your asthma or COPD treatment,” says Karen Berger, Pharm.D., member of the SingleCare Medical Review Board. “Sometimes people tend to increase the use of inhalers if they are not working well enough, but this may lead to increased side effects without improving symptoms. If you find that your inhaler is not helping as much as it used to, check in with your healthcare provider.”

Frequently asked questions

Is there a generic version of Breo Ellipta?

Yes, there is a generic version of Breo Ellipta. The generic version is called fluticasone/vilanterol. It is just as safe and effective as the brand-name drug.

Is Trelegy Ellipta better than Breo Ellipta?

Breo Ellipta contains the active ingredients fluticasone (an inhaled corticosteroid) and vilanterol (a long-acting beta agonist), while Trelegy contains fluticasone, vilanterol, and umeclidinium (a long-acting muscarinic antagonist). Either drug can be used for the maintenance treatment of COPD or asthma, but Trelegy is only FDA-approved for use in adults, while Breo can be used in adults and children 5 years and older. One is not necessarily better than the other, although for some people who need additional maintenance treatment, Trelegy may be a better option because of its additional active ingredient.

How much does Breo Ellipta cost without insurance?

The typical price of a brand-name Breo Ellipta inhaler is about $548 without insurance, while the average price of a generic fluticasone/vilanterol inhaler is about $319 without insurance.