New bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are central in the treatment of airway diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Bronchodilators in COPD aim to improve lung function, reduce symptoms, prevent exacerbation, and enhance quality of life. The majority of programs in development for novel bronchodilators are focused on enhancing existing targets to once daily dosing and improving their safety profiles. However, just as important are other programs that aim to discover novel pharmacologic targets such as EP4 receptor agonists, bitter taste receptors, and selective PDE inhibitors. Furthermore, existing and novel bronchodilators have become vital components of multiple combination therapies targeting COPD. This review will discuss emerging bronchodilators highlighting preclinical data and available clinical trials.