During the treatment period, patients received 1 of 2 double-blinded treatments. Maintenance
medication was administered in a double-dummy fashion due to the different outward
appearances of the 2 inhalers.
As-needed medication was administered with identical inhalers. The treatments were as follows:
Two inhalations of Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) Turbuhaler 160/4.5 μg/inhalation (batch numbers FC 35 and GA 38) and one inhalation of placebo Diskus (batch numbers E02844-001F, E02844-003F, E02844-005F,
E02844-007F, and E02844-024I) twice daily as maintenance treatment plus Symbicort Turbuhaler 160/4.5 μg/inhalation (batch numbers FC 35 and GA 38)
as-needed