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Salmeterol

Salmeterol is a long-acting beta2 agonist for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); this catalogue lists it in three inhalers: Advair Diskus, Serevent and Seroflo.

Advair Diskus

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

100mcg + 50mcg · 250mcg + 50mcg · 500mcg + 50mcg

Fluticasone and salmeterol inhalation powder for asthma and COPD. It combines a corticosteroid with a long-acting bronchodilator in one device.

From$21.00/ inhalerView

Serevent

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

25mcg

Salmeterol inhaler for asthma and COPD. It is a long-acting bronchodilator for maintenance, not quick relief.

From$16.83/ inhalerView

Seroflo

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

25mcg + 250mcg

Fluticasone and salmeterol inhaler for asthma and COPD. The fluticasone calms inflammation, the salmeterol keeps airways open.

From$70.50/ inhalerView

Key points

  • After you inhale it, salmeterol reaches only very low levels in the blood, about 200 picograms per millilitre or less at normal doses, a concentration so small that product information notes it is technically difficult to measure precisely.
  • In laboratory tests on human liver tissue, salmeterol was shown to be broken down almost entirely by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, producing a metabolite called alpha-hydroxysalmeterol.
  • Salmeterol carries a boxed warning: long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABAs) such as salmeterol increase the risk of asthma-related death.

What Salmeterol is used for

Salmeterol is a long-term treatment for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, taken on a regular schedule because its effect on the airways lasts at least 12 hours. It is not fast enough to relieve a sudden asthma attack, so anyone using a salmeterol inhaler still needs a separate fast-acting reliever inhaler kept close at hand. Because Advair Diskus already contains salmeterol, product information advises against adding another long-acting beta2 agonist, such as formoterol, on top of it.

Brands and forms in this catalogue

All three formulations in this catalogue are delivered as inhalers. Advair Diskus and Serevent are originator brands from GlaxoSmithKline; Seroflo, manufactured by Cipla Ltd, is an Indian generic line built on the same active ingredient. Two of the three, Advair Diskus and Seroflo, combine salmeterol with the corticosteroid fluticasone propionate; Serevent contains salmeterol on its own, without a steroid added. Advair Diskus and Serevent are catalogued under Respiratory Health; Seroflo sits in the Allergy Relief category instead.

Further reading