Bambuterol: new preparation. Poorly demonstrated efficacy.

(1) Bambuterol is a long-acting metabolic precursor of terbutaline, marketed as an oral preparation. It is approved for long-term treatment of asthma and other reversible obstructive airways diseases. (2) The clinical file on bambuterol is sparse. There is no evidence that bambuterol has any advantages in terms of efficacy relative to oral terbutaline or inhaled salmeterol. (3) The claimed (minimal) advances relative to oral terbutaline, in terms of adverse effects (low level of evidence) and the advantage of once-daily dosing, are in no way decisive.