Asthma is a lung disease that causes wheezing, chest tightening, excess mucus and in severe cases, life-threatening breathing difficulty. According to MyAsthmaCentral.com, this disease affects approximately 20 million people. New medications have been made available over the past ten years that have decreased the number of deaths caused by asthma.
Xolair
Xolair was approved by the FDA in 2003. It is an injection that is given each month, and is only available for those with severe allergy-induced asthma that is not well controlled by other methods. This medication is expensive; according to Medical News Today, it can cost between $5,000 and $10,000 per year. There has been some speculation that there is a slight risk of cancer with this drug, and the FDA is looking into that.
Alvesco
Alvesco is the brand name of ciclesonide, which is an inhaled steroid that became available in 2008. Steroid asthma medications are not used during the throes of an asthma attack; according to the Mayo Clinic, they are meant to be used regularly to prevent the lung swelling that can cause asthma attacks. This drug is not approved for use in children under age 12, and is only recommended for pregnant women when the benefits outweigh the potential risk to the unborn baby.
Asmanex
Asmanex is another inhaled steroid, and was approved in 2005. This drug is safe for children over the age of 4 and adults. Asmanex is used for the prevention of asthma attacks, but is not a rescue inhaler. People taking Asmanex should be careful not to expose themselves to certain illnesses, such as tuberculosis or chicken pox, because they are more susceptible to severe infection. This medication can also cause fungus in the mouth or eye problems.
Leukotriene Modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers are medications that help prevent asthma attacks by blocking leukotrienes, which are chemicals in the immune system. Singulair is the brand name of the drug montelukast, and is available as a tablet, a chewable pill and a powder packet. It can prevent exercise- or allergy-induced asthma attacks and be used in conjunction with other asthma medications. It is not a rescue medication and won't stop an asthma attack already in progress. Accolate, or zafirlukast, is another leukotriene modifier that is available in oral tablets.
