Disease × agent evidence record

Aminophylline for Asthma: evidence, trials and status

Aminophylline has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Asthma. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

3 registered trials 0 recruiting 13 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 56.0
Research Tracker › Pairs › Asthma › Aminophylline
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Aminophylline has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Asthma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Asthma. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Aminophylline to Asthma: 1 has completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT00442338). The largest enrolment is 100 participants (NCT03296579). Registration activity spans 2007 to 2018. The literature layer holds 13 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2008 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Asthma ranks 642 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: 26% of childhood-onset asthma in clinical remission by adulthood; <20% adult-onset achieves sustained remission; 65% long-term remission in mild-moderate vs 16% in severe.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerAsthma hubAsthma biomarkers & interventionsChEMBLOpen Targets

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score56.0 (trials 6.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials3 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 2 other
Linked publications13 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review)
Agent typeBiologic
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classNot recorded
Data sourcesOpen Targets, ChEMBL
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT00442338Study of MK-0476 in Adult Patients With Acute Asthma (0476-334)
2007
completedPhase 391
NCT02270827A Pilot Study Into Health Pre and Post Treatment With Intravenous Aminophylline and Hydrocortisone in Severe Asthmatics
2014
terminatedNot applicable5
NCT03296579Non-invasive Ventilation vs. Standard Therapy for Children Hospitalized With an Acute Exacerbation of Asthma
2018
status unknownNot applicable100

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aminophylline approved for Asthma?

Aminophylline has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Asthma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Asthma. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Aminophylline in clinical trials for Asthma?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Aminophylline to Asthma: 1 has completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT00442338). The largest enrolment is 100 participants (NCT03296579). Registration activity spans 2007 to 2018.

What does the evidence show for Aminophylline in Asthma?

Aminophylline has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Asthma. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Aminophylline for Asthma: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/asthma/aminophylline.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.