Roflumilast is safe and effective in improving symptoms and lung function in severe COPD

The case of a 66-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is presented. Diagnosis was based on baseline pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and clinical examination. Therapy with tiotropium 18 μg (once daily) and salmeterol/fluticasone 50/500 μg (twice daily) failed to achieve optimal disease control. Roflumilast (Daxas) 500 μg once daily was therefore added and a progressive improvement in the patient’s condition was observed during the 1-year followup. In this patient with severe COPD, roflumilast represented a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for managing clinical symptoms and for significantly improving lung function parameters.