An open multi-centre study to assess the efficacy of inhaled salmeterol in bronchial asthma in Nigeria.

An open multicentre clinical trial of inhaled B-agonist, salmeterol, was carried out to assess its efficacy in adult Nigerian asthmatic patients. Seventy-four patients were recruited to the trial and 64 (86.48%) completed the trials. 50mcg of inhaled salmeterol was administered to the patients twice a day over a period of 2 weeks. The patients were assessed on weekly basis, at week 1, 2 and 3 subjectively and objectively using the protocol prepared by the sponsor of the study. Salmeterol was found to reduce symptoms of asthma considerably, both at day time and at night. The patient's tolerance to exercise improved significantly. The lung function assessed using Peak Expiratory Flow Meter (PEFR) showed significant improvement. Side effects were not encountered during the duration of the study. It was conclusively shown that overall, salmeterol is effective in the management of asthma in adult Nigerian patients.