Newer therapeutic agents for asthma

The past decade has seen significant advances in the available treatments for asthma. These include longer-acting bronchodilating agents, high topical potency inhaled corticosteroids, and agents that interfere with leukotriene production or action. Table 3 summarizes the clinical effects of the newer therapeutic agents reviewed. Experimental therapies for the steroid-dependent patient have also been discussed. Although clinical trials to date have established many of these as effective in asthma, the results of ongoing, large, multicenter studies investigating the relative merits of these therapies, alone and in combination, will further clarify how to maximize the utility of these agents in the treatment of asthma.