Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the lungs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than 20 million people in the United States suffer from asthma. Common symptoms experienced by asthma sufferers include wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest, coughing and difficulty breathing. Multiple prescription drugs are available for the treatment and prevention of asthma symptoms. One of these drugs is a beta-adregergic agonist called Ventolin, which is made by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
The Inhaler
Ventolin is an inhaled medication, and thus is packaged in a specific way allowing delivery of the drug to the lungs. According to GSK, Ventolin is available as an "inhaler," which is composed of a canister that contains the medication, and a plastic casing that houses the canister. When the canister is depressed, the medication flows from the casing out through a mouthpiece in metered doses. For ease of use, the Ventolin inhaler also comes with a counter so that the patient may monitor how much medication remains in the canister.
Albuterol Sulfate
GSK reports that the principal ingredient in Venotilin is albuterol sulfate. Albuterol sulfate is a beta-adrenergic agonist, which is a synthetic molecule that binds and activates the beta-adrendergic receptor. This causes smooth muscle relaxation and dilation of the airways. According to GSK, albuterol sulfate is a white crystalline powder. Because it opens the airways (also called bronchi), it is called a "bronchodilator." Albuterol sulfate reverses "bronchospasm," which is spasming of the muscles around the airway. Albuterol sulfate is also used to prevent excercise-induced asthma when taken before strenuous exercise.
HFA
Because Ventolin is an inhaled medication, the drug (albuterol) is mixed with a chemical that delivers the medication from the inhaler to the lungs; such a chemical is called an excipient. The excipient in Ventolin HFA, according to GSK, is hydroflouroalkane. The chemical name for HFA in Ventolin is 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, and the abbreviated from of this chemical is the simpler "HFA." In the past, Ventolin contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as an excipient. However, CFCs degrade the ozone layer of the earth, and thus are not environmentally friendly. The Federal Drug Administration required that CFCs be phased out, and were prohibited from use after December 31, 2008. GSK thus now uses HFA as an excipient, which does not have environmentally detrimental effects. The FDA states that HFA spray may feels softer than the spray caused by CFCs, but that it is the deep breath that is critical to delivering the medication into the lungs. HFA has very little taste, and according to the FDA, it causes the medication to be expelled in a very fine mist, which helps the medication stay in the air long enough to be breathed into the lungs.
