London - An anti-asthma pill was launched in Britain yesterday, the first completely new treatment for the condition in more than 20 years.
The drug, Montelukast, works by blocking the action of a substance which helps to trigger inflammation in the lungs, the underlying cause of asthma. Studies have shown it is effective when used in addition to traditional inhalers, reducing the frequency of day and night-time asthma attacks. When it was used in test trials with inhaled steroids, 48 per cent of patients had fewer asthma attacks than when using inhalers alone.