The Salmeterol or Corticosteroids (SOCS) study was a randomized, double-blind study to determine the utility of treating patients with moderately severe asthma with long-acting beta-agonists in place of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). A total of 164 patients were randomized into one of the following three treatment arms (double-blind and double-dummy): 1) placebo; 2) inhaled corticosteroid triamcinolone alone; or 3) beta-agonist salmeterol alone. Treatment continued for 16 weeks, followed by a 6-week run-out period in which all patients were placed on placebo. The purpose of the run-out period was to evaluate the effects of treatment cessation on asthma control. To compare efficacy of therapy, the primary outcome variable was the change in AM PEF from the final week of the run-in period to the final week of the double-blind treatment period. To compare duration benefit, the primary outcome variable was again AM PEF, with a comparison of the change from the final week of the run-in period to the second and final weeks of the run-out period. Secondary endpoints included other markers of asthma severity (e.g., FEV1, symptom diaries, beta-agonist rescue, quality-of-life scores, methacholine responsiveness, and asthma exacerbations). To evaluate markers of inflammation, sputum induction was performed on all patients, and bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial biopsy were performed on a subset of patients. Enrollment began in February 1997 and ended in July 1998. Results have been published.