Trade names Maxair Pregnancy
category C | MedlinePlus a601096 Routes of
administration Inhalational (MDI) | |
 | ||
AHFS/Drugs.com Consumer Drug Information ATC code R03AC08 (WHO) R03CC07 (WHO) | ||
Pirbuterol (trade name Maxair) is a short-acting β2 adrenoreceptor agonist with bronchodilating action used in the treatment of asthma, available (as pirbuterol acetate) as a breath-activated metered-dose inhaler (Maxair Autohaler).
Contents
Clinical use
Pirbuterol is used in asthma for reversal of acute bronchospasm, and also as a maintenance medication to prevent future attacks. It should be used in patients 12 years of age and older with or without concurrent theophylline and/or inhaled corticosteroid.
Pharmacokinetics
After inhalation of doses up to 800 μg (twice the maximum recommended dose) systemic blood levels of pirbuterol are below the limit of assay sensitivity (2–5 ng/ml). A mean of 51% of the dose is recovered in urine as pirbuterol plus its sulfate conjugate following administration by aerosol. Pirbuterol is not metabolized by catechol-O-methyltransferase. The plasma half-life measured after oral administration is about two hours.