Do not stop taking Ensifentrine once you start taking it

Ohtuvayre (Ensifentrine)-Ensefentine Inhalation Suspension is not a "never stop" drug once you start it, but it does work well for patients who need long-term control of their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms. Exefentine is a new type of dual-mechanism bronchodilator that has dual inhibitory functions of phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), and can simultaneously expand airways and stabilize anti-inflammatory effects. It is mainly suitable for daily maintenance treatment of patients with moderate to severe COPD, especially those who still have symptoms, have frequent acute exacerbations, or have poor response to other treatments.

Clinically, the goal of using exefantine is to continuously relieve dyspnea and reduce the frequency of chronic cough, excessive sputum and acute exacerbations. Therefore, once it is started, it is usually recommended to adhere to regular medication to maintain the effect. If the patient stops taking the medication without authorization, especially without communicating with the doctor, it can easily lead to recurrence of the condition, aggravation of respiratory symptoms and even acute exacerbation events.

However, this does not mean that patients should not stop taking exefantine under any circumstances. If the patient experiences adverse reactions, decreases drug tolerance, or switches to other treatment options after the condition stabilizes, the doctor can adjust or stop the use of the drug in a timely manner after evaluation. In addition, if the patient is in a mild stage of the disease or only needs short-term relief of symptoms, the use period can also be shortened appropriately.

Therefore, exefantine is a prescription drug that “can be used for a long time but needs to be evaluated under the guidance of a doctor whether to discontinue the drug”. It is not dependent or addictive, but relies on its pharmacological effects to maintain stable lung function. Once the medication is discontinued, there should be an alternative or physician evaluation to ensure there is no risk of recurrence.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/monograph/ensifentrine.html