New bronchodilator aerosol, salmefamol, in asthma

Twenty-five asthmatics were tested with salmefamol aerosol (200 mug q.d.s.) for a period of 3 months. The ventilatory capacity before and after adrenaline was measured weekly and symptoms were assessed daily using a scoring system over a period of 9 months. The results during the 3 months' treatment with salmefamol were compared with the preceding and succeeding 3-month-periods when patients were receiving either salbutamol aerosol or orciprenaline aerosol. Statistically significant improvements were seen in ventilatory capacity before adrenaline inhalation and in symptom scores while on salmefamol. Ventilatory capacity after adrenaline inhalation remained unchanged throughout the study: thus there was no evidence of tachyphylaxis. A significantly greater number of patients preferred the new drug. Four patients developed slight muscle tremor in the first few days of salmefamol therapy, but there were no changes in haematological or biochemical values after 3 months' therapy. Thus, salmefamol seems to have marked efficacy with low toxicity and is generally well tolerated.