| Long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
 Salmeterol—an example of long-acting β2 adrenoreceptor agonist | |
| Legal status | |
| In Wikidata |
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[citation needed] 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. Their long duration of action is due to the addition of a long lipophilic side-chain that binds to an exosite on adrenergic receptors. This allows the active portion of the molecule to continuously bind and unbind at β2 receptors in the smooth muscle of the lungs.