The aim of this study was to systematically compare the interaction of the long-acting beta2-adrenoceptor agonists formoterol and salmeterol with short-acting beta2-adrenoceptor agonists in contracted human bronchi. Human bronchi were obtained at thoracotomy from patients with lung cancer. Formoterol or salmeterol at concentrations inducing up to 92 and 94% of their maximal relaxant effect, res...

Background—In vitro the long acting â2 agonist salmeterol can, in contrast to formoterol, behave as a partial agonist and become a partial antagonist to other â2 agonists. To study this in vivo, the bronchodilating eVect of salbutamol was measured during methacholine induced moderate to severe bronchoconstriction in patients receiving maintenance treatment with high dose long acting â2 agonists...

BACKGROUND Patients with severe asthma have increased airway remodelling and elevated numbers of circulating fibrocytes with enhanced myofibroblastic differentiation capacity, despite being treated with high doses of corticosteroids, and long acting β2-adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists (LABAs). We determined the effect of β2-AR agonists, alone or in combination with corticosteroids, on fibrocyt...

It has been hypothesized that regular inhaled beta2-agonist therapy causes desensitization of beta2-receptors. The aim of this study was to define whether beta2-receptor desensitization occurs after treatment with the long-acting beta2-agonist salmeterol, assessed by measuring the bronchodilator response to cumulative repeated doses of inhaled salbutamol before and after treatment. Forty nine s...

The efficacy and safety of twice-daily aclidinium bromide/formoterol fumarate was compared with that of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate in patients with stable, moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).AFFIRM COPD (Aclidinium and Formoterol Findings in Respiratory Medicine COPD) was a 24-week, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled study. Patients were randomised...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether inhaled salmeterol, a new long acting inhaled beta adrenergic agonist, reduces nocturnal bronchoconstriction and improves sleep quality in patients with nocturnal asthma. DESIGN Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover study. SETTING Hospital outpatient clinics in Edinburgh. SUBJECTS Twenty clinically stable patients (13 women, seven men) with ...

BACKGROUND An increase in serious adverse events with both regular formoterol and regular salmeterol in chronic asthma has been demonstrated in comparison with placebo in previous Cochrane reviews. This increase was significant in trials that did not randomise participants to an inhaled corticosteroid, but less certain in the smaller numbers of participants in trials that included an inhaled co...

OBJECTIVE To present results of 2 studies assessing the impact of 3 commonly prescribed dual-controller regimens on the cost of treating asthma in several managed care populations. DATA SOURCES Two previously published cross-sectional and longitudinal retrospective studies of patients aged 12-65 years with asthma, in selected managed care plans, who were taking an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)...

BACKGROUND Recent analyses have suggested an increased risk for serious asthma-related adverse events in patients receiving long-acting beta-agonists. PURPOSE To examine whether the incidences of severe asthma-related events (hospitalizations, intubations, deaths, and severe exacerbations) differ in persons receiving salmeterol plus inhaled corticosteroids compared with inhaled corticosteroid...

BACKGROUND The main adverse effects of inhaled long acting beta(2) agonists relate to their systemic activity. The systemic effects seen over eight hours after inhalation of three doses of salmeterol and formoterol were therefore compared in normal subjects. METHODS A double blind, randomised, crossover study was carried out in 16 healthy subjects who inhaled formoterol 24, 48 and 96 microg (...