It was patented in 1971 and came into medical use in 1983.[1]
Medical use
Pirbuterol is used in asthma for reversal of acute
bronchospasm, and also as a maintenance medication to prevent future attacks. It should be used in patients 12 years of age and older with or without concurrent
theophylline and/or inhaled
corticosteroid.[2][3]
After inhalation of doses up to 800
μg (twice the maximum recommended dose) systemic blood levels of pirbuterol are below the limit of assay sensitivity (2–5 ng/ml). A mean of 51% of the dose is recovered in urine as pirbuterol plus its sulfate conjugate following administration by aerosol. Pirbuterol is not metabolized by
catechol-O-methyltransferase. The plasma half-life measured after oral administration is about two hours.[2]