How do oral COPD treatments compare? Investigators assessed new users of azithromycin and roflumilast with active COPD. By Kathryn Wighton September 2, 2026 3 min MDSpire News Share Summary Takeaways Clinical Scorecard Quiz Poll 1 Azithromycin may lower the risk of a first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation compared to roflumilast. 2 The study analyzed data from 22,054 patients who initiated maintenance treatment with azithromycin or roflumilast. 3 After matching, 7,550 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 88 days. 4 Azithromycin was associated with a 17% lower likelihood of a first moderate or severe exacerbation. 5 Study limitations included short follow-up, potential misclassification, and lack of safety outcome assessment.
