Roflumilast: an oral, once-daily selective PDE-4 inhibitor for the management of COPD and asthma

Background: Roflumilast is a selective phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor with a broad range of anti-inflammatory actions. Studies in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have demonstrated that it can improve lung function and reduce inflammation. Objective: To review the clinical data on roflumilast in COPD and asthma. Methods: A PubMed search using the term roflumilast was used to identify articles, and the bibliographies of the identified articles were reviewed to identify other relevant reports. All roflumilast abstracts from the 2006 and 2007 International Meetings of the American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society were also reviewed. Results/conclusion: The preliminary studies of roflumilast in COPD and asthma have only shown modest clinical benefits and may be associated with gastrointestinal side effects. Further studies are required to clarify the role of roflumilast in the management of COPD and asthma.