Initially, this story wasn’t gaining much traction, but as the debate over the safety of these drugs grows increasingly more voluble, the implications for recall (at least in the treatment indication for asthma) are real.

The two drugs are the single-agent long acting beta2 agonist inhalers salmeterol (GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Serevent) and formoterol (Novartis AG’s Foradil). If the FDA follows the panel advice and withdraws approval for asthma treatment, the two drugs would still be indicated for treatment of COPD, which accounts for about half their current use, said a report in MedPage Today. The FDA does not have to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, but it usually does.

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