Long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist

Long-acting β adrenoceptor agonists (LABAs) are beta-adrenergic agonists usually prescribed for moderate-to-severe persistent asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

LABAs are designed to reduce the need for shorter-acting β₂ agonists such as salbutamol (albuterol), as they have an approximately twelve-hour duration of action, compared to about five hours for salbutamol, making them candidates for sparing high doses of corticosteroids or treating nocturnal asthma and providing symptomatic relief for COPD patients.

With the exception of formoterol, LABAs are not recommended for the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations because of their slower onset of action compared to salbutamol. Salmeterol binds to an exosite on the β₂ adrenergic receptor, and this has been proposed to explain its long duration of action, but this hypothesis is not universally accepted.