Panel members say the drugs' benefits of controlling asthma symptoms and improving lung function outweighed the small possibility of a life-threatening asthma attack.
In a Glaxo study, detailed on the drug labels, there were 13 deaths among about 13,000 patients, treated for 28 weeks with Serevent, compared with three deaths among about 13,000 people given a placebo.
Severe asthma attacks also were seen when Foradil was given at a higher dose the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to approve.
Another study, done after approval, was too small to draw conclusions about the safety concern.
Panel member Dr. Steven Gay, medical director of critical care medicine at the University of Michigan Health System says, "Until proven otherwise, we have to make ourselves believe (Foradil) may act the same way."
