XOPENEX® Inhalation Solution and XOPENEX HFA® are currently available by prescription in the U.S.
XOPENEX® Inhalation Solution
XOPENEX® brand levalbuterol HCl Inhalation Solution is a short-acting bronchodilator indicated for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients 6 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease, such as asthma. XOPENEX Inhalation Solution is administered via a nebulizer, a machine that converts liquid medication into a fine mist, which is inhaled through a mask to deeply penetrate into a patient's lungs. Nebulizers have been an important part of respiratory care for many years because they can deliver the medicine deep into the breathing tubes and lungs.
XOPENEX HFA® MDI
XOPENEX HFA® brand levalbuterol tartrate Inhalation Aerosol, a hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) metered-dose inhaler (MDI) was commercially introduced in December 2005 for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in adults, adolescents and children 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease. Reversible obstructive airway disease includes respiratory disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MDIs are hand-held, pressurized canisters that deliver inhaled medications directly to the lungs.
For more information about XOPENEX Inhalation Solution and XOPENEX HFA, please visit the XOPENEX product web site at www.xopenex.com.
ASTHMA
According to the American Lung Association, approximately 26 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime. It is the most common childhood illness and affects approximately 8.6 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18.
Important Safety Information: XOPENEX HFA MDI and XOPENEX Inhalation Solution are contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to levalbuterol, racemic albuterol or any other component of XOPENEX HFA and XOPENEX Inhalation Solution. XOPENEX HFA, XOPENEX Inhalation Solution and other beta-agonists can produce paradoxical bronchospasm, which may be life threatening. If additional adrenergic drugs, including other short-acting sympathomimetic aerosol bronchodilators or epinephrine, are to be administered by any route, they should be used with caution to avoid deleterious cardiovascular effects. Due to the cardiovascular side effects associated with beta-agonists, caution is generally recommended for patients with cardiovascular disorders (especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension), diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or convulsive disorders. Also, see the complete prescribing information for XOPENEX HFA MDI and XOPENEX Inhalation Solution regarding potential drug interactions.