New aspects in the medical treatment of asthma

Bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory compounds. Over the next decade bronc hodilators and anti-inflammatory compounds will continue to be central for the therapy of asthma in childhood. The antiinflammatory cromolyn and nedoc romil are clearly inferior to inhaled corticosteroids. New developments inc lude combinations of steroids with long acting beta -agonists and hydrofluo ralkan driven metered dose inhalers which in case of beclomethasone, produc e a reduced aerosol droplet size with a more peripheral pattern of depositi on. Leukotriene receptor antagonists. The leukotriene receptor antagonist Monte lukast belongs to a new class of anti-inflammatory asthma medication that i s on the German market since 1998. A single daily evening dose will support compliance with treatment, however much more studies are necessary to defi ne the position of this drug in the treatment of pediatric asthma. Antibodies. The rare cases of asthma dependent on oral steroids may benefit from the anti-IgE-antibody rhuMAb-E25. Several new approaches relying on t he blockade of the action of cytokins central for the pathogenesis of asthm a are very promising, however the results of larger phase III/IV studies mu st be awaited.