Summary
Pirbuterol Acetate 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 1 registered trial linking Pirbuterol Acetate to Asthma: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT00684827). It plans or enrolled 32 participants. Registered activity dates to 2002. The literature layer holds 3 publications for this pair: 3 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1982 to 1993. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
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.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 29.5 (trials 3.5, literature 6.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 3 (3 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT00684827 | A Safety and Tolerability Study of Levalbuterol HFA Metered Dose Inhaler in Subjects With Asthma 2002 | completed | Phase 2 | 32 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication A device for overcoming discoordination with metered-dose inhalersSchecker MH, Wilson AF, Mukai DS et al. · The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 1993 · PMID 7794289
- Clinical trial publication Comparative effects of pirbuterol acetate, metaproterenol, and placebo aerosols on pulmonary function and incidence of cardiac ectopyChodosh S, Crooks LA, Tuck J · The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 1989 · PMID 2484663
- Clinical trial publication Acute bronchial and cardiovascular effects of increasing doses of pirbuterol acetate aerosol in asthmaLittner MR, Tashkin DP, Calvarese B et al. · Annals of allergy · 1982 · PMID 7055342
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 Pirbuterol Acetate approved for Asthma?
Pirbuterol Acetate 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 Pirbuterol Acetate in clinical trials for Asthma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Pirbuterol Acetate to Asthma: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT00684827). It plans or enrolled 32 participants. Registered activity dates to 2002.
What does the evidence show for Pirbuterol Acetate in Asthma?
Pirbuterol Acetate has 1 completed trial and 3 linked publications for Asthma. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. 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
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.