The Advair Diskus inhaler was approved in 2000 by the FDA and is made by GlaxoSmithKline. A combination of fluticasone and salmeterol is indicated for the twice-daily, long-term treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older. Fluticasone, a steroid, and salmeterol, a long-acting beta-agonist, work to reduce swelling in the airways and relax and open air passages in the lungs. Advair controls asthma but does not cure the disorder.

In August 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the addition of new safety information and warnings to the labeling for drug products that contain salmeterol. The new labeling includes a boxed warning about a small, but significant, increased risk of life-threatening asthma episodes or asthma-related deaths observed in patients taking salmeterol in a then-recently completed large U.S. safety study.

Side effects of Advair may consist of: bronchitis, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty speaking, fungal infection of the mouth, headaches, stomach pain, hoarseness, muscle and bone pain, nausea, sore throat, and sinus pain.