Breo Ellipta®

What is Breo Ellipta?

Breo Ellipta is a combined inhaler treatment for COPD. It contains two active ingredients — fluticasone furoate, a corticosteroid, and vilanterol trifenatate, a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA).

Working together, these two ingredients can ease lung inflammation, improving your symptoms and allowing you to breathe more comfortably. 

Who is Breo Ellipta for?

Breo Ellipta is prescribed for adults with COPD. COPD is the name for a group of chronic lung conditions, such as bronchitis and emphysema, and is usually treated with inhaled medications that open your airways.^[1]

COPD typically affects middle-aged people over 40, but you might be more at risk of developing it if you’re a smoker. People who have a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency are also more prone to developing COPD.^[2]

How does Breo Ellipta work?

Breo Ellipta works in two different ways. Fluticasone reduces inflammation in your lungs, and vilanterol helps the muscles around your airways relax. This combined action makes it easier to breathe by easing COPD symptoms.

Bronchodilators are often used to manage COPD. They can be short or long-acting and often work by combining two different medications. The effects of Breo Ellipta are designed to last 24 hours, so one daily dose should be enough to help keep your COPD symptoms under control. 

Does Breo Ellipta come in different doses?

Breo Ellipta is available as a 100mcg/25mcg inhaler. It contains 100mcg of fluticasone and 25mcg of vilanterol.

The standard dose is one inhalation a day, and there’s never any need to use your inhaler more often than this. If you miss a dose at your usual time, you can take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s getting close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed one and carry on with your normal daily dosage routine.

How to use Breo Ellipta

Your Breo Ellipta inhaler comes in a foil tray. Peel back the lid, remove the inhaler and discard the tray.

The inhaler has a dose count of 30. Each time you open the cover on the inhaler, a dose is activated and this count reduces by one.

To use your inhaler:

1. slide the cover from the mouthpiece until you hear a click;
2. breathe out while keeping the inhaler away from your mouth;
3. close your lips firmly around the mouthpiece of the inhaler;
4. take one long breath in, holding it for around 3-4 seconds and then:
5. breath out slowly and replace the mouthpiece cover.

Rinse your mouth out every time you use your inhaler, and make sure you spit the water out.

When there are less than 10 doses left, one side of the counter on your inhaler will turn red. This is to remind you that your medication is running low.

How long does Breo Ellipta take to work?

COPD treatments like Breo Ellipta are designed to help you manage your symptoms long-term. So while you might get some immediate relief from the inhaler, it might take a while to fully feel the effects of this medication.

COPD is often managed with multiple medications; corticosteroids and bronchodilators are often prescribed separately, whereas Breo Ellipta combines both of these in one single inhaler.

As well as using your inhaler, you might find that gentle exercise can help open up your lungs. And if you’re a smoker, you should speak to your physician about getting help quitting as this will improve your COPD.