Leukotriene-receptor antagonists

Summary

Leukotriene-receptor antagonists are the first novel class of antiasthma drugs to become available over the past three decades. They have an unique profile in that they are a hybrid of an anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator drug, and they can be taken as a tablet once or twice daily. The published data with leukotriene-receptor antagonists such as montelukast or zafirlukast show good antiasthmatic activity over a wide spectrum of asthma severity either as monotherapy or with inhaled steroids. Another potential spin-off of leukotriene-receptor antagonists is that they also seem to be effective in treating allergic rhinitis, which commonly coexists in patients with asthma. Here I overview the clinical pharmacology of leukotriene antagonists and appraise the published data from clinical trials, and look at the appropriate position of these agents in asthma management guidelines.