Overview Therapeutic strategies for treating asthma are via decreasing inflammation increasing sympathetic tone There are 7 families of drugs that are commonly used: corticosteroids β-agonists muscarinic antagonists methylxanthines cromolyn antileukotrienes omalizumab Antileukotrienes Drugs zileuton 5-lipoxygenase pathway inhibitor blocks conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes zafirlukast, montelukast blocks leukotriene receptors particularly effective in aspirin-induced asthma