Chang TY, et al. - Utilizing national health insurance claims data from 2009 to 2015 in Taiwan, researchers performed this retrospective cohort analysis to compare the risk and benefit profile of various inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β₂-agonist (LABA) combinations in COPD patients. In this analysis, COPD cases with new ICS/LABA use were included. Lower risk of severe pneumonia and severe acute exacerbation was reported in relation to both budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FOR) dry-powder inhalers and beclomethasone/formoterol (BEC/FOR) metered-dose inhalers vs fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FLU/SAL) administered through the same device type. A significantly reduced risk of severe pneumonia was continuously seen among BUD/FOR dry-powder inhaler users, but not in BEC/FOR metered-dose inhaler users, after additionally adjusting for the average daily ICS dose. The findings expand the current evidence regarding the different safety and effectiveness results of ICS/LABA combinations in COPD patients, which may be taken into account when making clinical treatment decisions.