The safety, tolerability and
bronchodilator properties of inhaled
verlukast (MK-0679), a new potent and selective LTD4-receptor antagonist, were studied in 12 asthmatic subjects with more than 15% increase in FEV1 after
salbutamol inhalation. On three separate study days the patients inhaled placebo,
verlukast 2 mg and
verlukast 8 mg from a
metered dose inhaler according to a randomized, double-blind, cross-over allocation schedule. Pulmonary function and tolerability were assessed regularly and after 8 h a second dose of test
drug was inhaled. Thirty minutes later a beta 2-agonist dose-response curve was performed by inhaling
salbutamol in cumulative doses of 200, 400 and 800 micrograms.
Verlukast (8 mg) caused significant improvement in mean FEV1 from 1.5 through 8 h after inhalation as compared to placebo (P less than 0.05). The maximum change in FEV1 occurred at 2 h after inhalation with mean percent increases above baseline of 3.5, 7.7, and 9.2% after placebo,
verlukast 2 mg and 8 mg, respectively. The
bronchodilator response to inhaled
salbutamol was significantly larger after
verlukast 8 mg than after placebo pretreatment (P less than 0.05), whereas
verlukast 2 mg afforded no additive
bronchodilator effect. We conclude that inhalation of the LTD4-antagonist
verlukast induces modest but significant bronchodilatation and may be beneficial in the treatment of
asthma.