Formoterol

Formoterol is an inhaled beta-agonist used in the management of COPD and asthma that was first approved for use in the United States in 2001. It acts on bronchial smooth muscle to dilate and relax airways, and is administered as a racemic mixture of its active (R;R)- and inactive (S;S)-enantiomers. A major clinical advantage of formoterol over other inhaled beta-agonists is its rapid onset of action (2-3 minutes), which is at least as fast as salbutamol, combined with a long duration of action (12 hours) - for this reason, treatment guidelines for asthma recommend its use as both a reliever and maintenance medication. It is available as a single-entity product and in several formulations in combination with both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting muscarinic antagonists.

Formoterol is indicated in various formulations for the treatment of asthma and COPD. For the treatment of COPD, formoterol is available as a single-entity inhalation solution, in combination with the long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) aclidinium and glycopyrronium, and in combination with the corticosteroid budesonide. For the treatment of asthma, formoterol is available in combination with mometasone furoate for patients 5 years and older and with budesonide for patients 6 years and older. Formoterol may also be used on an as-needed basis for prophylaxis against exercise-induced bronchospasm.

• Asthma
• Bronchial Asthma
• Bronchoconstriction
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm
• Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)