Device for Asthmatic Adults Approved

The FDA has approved the first device that uses radio-frequency energy to treat severe, persistent asthma in adults. The Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System, manufactured by Asthmatx, is a catheter with an electrode tip that delivers electromagnetic energy directly to the airways, the FDA says. The device is for patients age 18 and older whose asthma is not well-controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonist medications.