Future developments in the pharmacotherapy of lung disease.

Future advances in the pharmacotherapy of lung disease will occur mainly in the treatment of asthma, and will include the development of new long-acting beta 2-agonists, long-acting parasympatholytics, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, corticosteroids with fewer systemic side-effects, and other antiinflammatory drugs. Free radicals play an important role in most lung diseases, including asthma, emphysema, fibrosis, and adult respiratory distress syndrome. The search for free radical scavengers is now in progress. Replacement therapy with alpha 1-antitrypsin and surfactant is now possible. Progress in this area stems principally from a better understanding of the pathogenesis of lung disease.