First Launch Of Abbott's Zileuton, In USA

Abbott Laboratories has launched ita new asthma treatment Zyflo(zileuton) onto the US market for the prevention and chronic treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and older. The company says it is the only antileukotriene drug available which has been shown to decrease steroid usage.

Zyflo acts by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase, which is involved in the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are known to contribute to the inflammation, edema, bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion seen in the airways of asthmatics. Last November, Zeneca's Accolate (zafirlukast), a leukotriene D4 receptor antagonist, became the first anti-leukotriene drug to be launched in the USA, and Zyflo and Accolate will likely compete head-to-head for the non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory sector of the asthma market.

Hemant Shah of HKS & Co said that the potential of Zyflo will depend in some part on the performance of Accolate, "but the numbers show that this will be a gradual market in terms of penetration." On a longer-term basis, the class as a whole has the potential to be a multi-billion dollar category as the drugs offer steroid-like anti-inflammatory effects without steroid side effects. Which product will turn out on top is harder to predict, he said.