Simon44 asked
Hello, I just recently went from Advair to the generic, Wixela I think it's called. Is it EXACTLY the same and used the same way? I'm getting conflicting info. Thanks!
At a glance
- Wixela and Advair contain the same active ingredients, fluticasone propionate and salmeterol.
- The Wixela Inhub inhaler is designed slightly differently than the Advair Diskus, but they are used the same way, except for one minor difference (how to hold the inhaler).
Answer
Wixela Inhub is the first generic approved version of Advair Diskus. They are both dry powder inhalers that contain the same active and inactive ingredients.
Fluticasone propionate is a corticosteroid medication that works by decreasing inflammation in the airways and Salmeterol is a long-acting beta-2-adrenergic agonist that works by reducing bronchoconstriction (bronchodilator).
The inactive ingredient in both products is lactose which is used as a stabilizer (used to maintain the form and desired properties of the active ingredients).
Both devices are used twice a day for the treatment of asthma or maintenance of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the instructions for use are the same.
They are considered therapeutically equivalent but the devices are slightly different.
To use both devices first you position the mouthpiece, load a dose using a lever, breathe out, then inhale with the mouthpiece pressed to your lips to administer a dose.
However, when using the Wixela Inhub device, the disk is positioned vertically, whereas, with the Advair Diskus, the disk is held horizontally.
So, the answer to your question is that Wixela and Advair are essentially the same (since they contain the same active and inactive ingredients) but do differ in how the device is utilized to administer the medication and how the device is held.
References:
Advair Diskus [package insert]. Research Triangle Park, NC: GlaxoSmithKline, 2008.
Wixela Inhub [package insert]. Morgantown, WV: Mylan, 2019.
