Anti-Inflammatory Reliever Therapy (AIR) for Mild Asthma (BATURA Study)

Welcome to the latest episode of the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast. In this segment of The Itch Review series, co-hosts Payel Gupta, MD, and Kortney are once joined by Michael Blaiss, MD, to unpack new allergy and asthma research. The goal is to help you understand the latest research in simple terms. We also provide a one-page infographic so you can follow along easily.

This episode reviews the article “As-Needed Albuterol–Budesonide in Mild Asthma” published in The New England Journal of Medicine on May 19, 2025. It looks at the BATURA trial, which tested whether adding budesonide (an anti-inflammatory steroid) to albuterol (a fast-acting bronchodilator) in one inhaler cuts severe asthma attacks in adults with mild asthma.

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Any mention of brands is also informational and not an endorsement. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical questions or concerns.

Thank you to AstraZeneca for sponsoring this podcast episode.

Key takeaways on using a combo inhaler for mild asthma 

The BATURA trial is important because it looks at a new way to treat asthma attacks in people with mild asthma.

  • What are albuterol and budesonide? Albuterol is a medicine that relaxes tight airway muscles. Budesonide is a steroid that calms swelling inside the airways.
  • What is mild asthma? Mild asthma means you only wheeze or cough sometimes, like during exercise or when you have a cold.
  • How was the BATURA study run? More than 2,500 adults with mild asthma joined from all over the U.S. They conducted the study online until doctors counted 172 serious asthma attacks.
  • What did researchers measure? They looked at how many people had a bad asthma attack (needing systemic steroids or an ER visit), how often it happened, and how much extra steroid medicine people used.
  • What were the key results? The smart inhaler with both drugs cut serious attacks by nearly half. It also lowered overall steroid use by 63%.
Infographic summarizing a study on as-needed albuterol-budesonide for mild asthma, including study overview, key findings, a graph, and brief conclusions, with illustrations of lungs and a person using an inhaler.
Click image to see full graphic or to download.

Timestamps for our episode about the BATURA Study

01:40 – What types of inhaler medications are available

04:27 – Overview of the “smart” inhaler study

07:22 – What the BATURA trial set out to investigate

08:03 – Defining mild asthma

10:45 – BATURA study design details

13:46 – Who was enrolled in the trial

19:06 – Why the focus on uncontrolled mild asthmatics

19:41 – Primary and secondary endpoints

21:13 – What the intent-to-treat population means

23:50 – Key results of the BATURA trial

28:01 – Secondary outcome findings

30:44 – Safety profile of the combo inhaler

33:11 – Strengths of the BATURA trial

35:07 – Limitations of the trial design

36:34 – Dr. Blaiss top takeaways

37:21 – Dr. Gupta key insights

Resources for asthma medications

For more Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast episodes on asthma, visit our Asthma Podcasts page.