Roflumilast Approved by FDA for Treating COPD

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Roflumilast in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which involves chronic bronchitis.

The drug is marketed under the brand name of Daliresp by New York based Forest Laboratories and treats COPD by blocking phosphodiesterase type 4 enzyme. COPD is a form of lung disease usually caused by smoking and is characterized by chronic cough and excessive phlegm.

Clinical trials of the drug involved more than 1500 patients older than 40 years of age, all of whom were suffering from chronic bronchitis during the prior year.

The FDA said that while the drug can be used to treat the flares of COPD, it has not yet approved for the treatment of another form of the disease known as primary emphysema.



Source: Medindia