Salmeterol: a novel drug for the treatment of asthma.

The beta-stimulant bronchodilators have proved clinically very effective in the treatment of reversible airways obstructive disease. However, the currently available drugs are relatively short-acting. Salmeterol, a new long-acting, beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist has been developed and shown to induce persistent relaxation of airways smooth muscle in vitro and sustained bronchodilatation in vivo, and to have significant anti-inflammatory activity in the lung, suppressing inflammatory mediator release and inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibiting vascular permeability and oedema formation. Clinical studies in asthmatic patients have demonstrated that salmeterol causes bronchodilatation for 12-14 hours. In addition, treatment with salmeterol produces a marked increase in morning peak flow, a reduction in diurnal variation, and the elimination of nocturnal asthma symptoms. The combination of long-acting bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory effects suggests that salmeterol may represent an important new advance in the treatment of bronchial asthma.