Levalbuterol HCl(Levosalbutamol tartrate) is a relatively selective beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist used for the treatment of asthma.
Racemic albuterol (7.5 mg, bid) results in a greater improvement in their forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) as well as in their asthma scores after 1 hour of continuous treatment compared to the Levalbuterol (3.75 mg, bid) administration in children with asthma. The greater improvement in asthma scores is maintained after the second hour of continuous therapy in the racemic albuterol group but not for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) measurements. [1] Levalbuterol (1.25 mg) requires significantly fewer median total nebulizations and scheduled nebulizations compared with those in the racemic albuterol (2.5 mg) group in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Disease symptom assessment and subject general well-being score scores improves significantly from baseline in both levalbuterol (1.25 mg) and racemic albuterol (2.5 mg) treatment groups, and beta-mediated adverse effects mean scores are significantly greater with levalbuterol versus racemic albuterol. [2]
[1] Wilkinson M, et al. J Asthma, 2011, 48(2), 188-193. [2] Donohue JF, et al. Clin Ther, 2008, 30, 989-1002. [3] Cydulka RK, et al. J Asthma, 2010, 47(10), 1094-1100.