New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) AstraZeneca India on Tuesday said it will set up five centres across Delhi, Ahmedabad, Goa and Cochin to provide a systematic approach to standardised management of patients with severe asthma.

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The Centers of Excellence (COEs) would concentrate on specialty and clinical assessment, diagnosis, patient counselling, biologics initiation, and data management related to severe asthma, the drug firm said in a statement.

"In India, severe asthma is largely managed by oral glucocorticoids that have side effects such as osteoporosis, hypertension, ulcers, weight gain, etc., despite availability of newer treatment options such as biologicals that have shown to improve outcomes in patients," AstraZeneca India Vice President - Medical Affairs & Regulatory Anil Kukreja said.

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The company's goal is to establish more such centres of excellence throughout the country and tackle complications by continually monitoring patients, educating healthcare professionals and improving respiratory health for all, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)