US FDA approves Merck & Co's Singulair in EIB

US drug major Merck & Co says that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for Singluair (montelukast sodium), to prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in patients aged 15 years and older. The agent is the first and only oral tablet approved for this use. The condition is typically characterized by shortness of breath, cough, wheeze and chest tightness brought on by exercise, affecting a broad spectrum of the asthma population. In clinical studies, a single tablet of Singulair 10mg prevented EIB when taken two hours before exercise. Some patients were protected from EIB at 8.5 and 24 hours after administration, although others were not, Merck noted.