title: Long-term treatment in pediatric asthma: an update on chemical pharmacotherapy.
abstract: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, affecting approximately 10% of all children, and is the leading cause of hospitalization in developed countries. In this paper we aimed to review the evidence on chemical pharmacotherapy for long-term treatment of pediatric asthma, according to the latest updates. Area covered: Long-term treatment, essential for controlling symptoms and reducing future risks including exacerbations and decline in lung function, includes control agents such as inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists, and leukotriene modifiers. More recent strategies based on the use of a biological drug such as omalizumab, which is a monoclonal antibody directed against immunoglobulin E (IgE), can be considered in selected patients with severe asthma. Expert opinion: In the near future, the challenge of childhood asthma treatment will be to improve the chemical drugs that already exist as well as to carefully characterize the several different asthma subtypes, with special regard to children with severe disease. A better definition of patient features, made possible by the current advanced knowledge of the pathobiology of severe asthma, can ultimately allow the identification of specific phenotypes and endotypes of severe asthma, aimed to personalize pharmacological treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Section of Respiratory Diseases , University of Salerno , Salerno , Italy.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Section of Respiratory Diseases , University of Salerno , Salerno , Italy.
authors.forename: Angelantonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maglio
authors.affiliation: b Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Respiratory Diseases , University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelaia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Section of Respiratory Diseases , University of Salerno , Salerno , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vatrella
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D000069444:Omalizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000069444:Omalizumab
keywords: Childhood asthma; long term treatment of asthma; pharmacotherapy