Commonly Used COPD Medications
Medication Type Generic name Sample U.S. brands How it's given
ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, ProAir Metered dose inhaler, dry powder Albuterol Short-acting beta RespiClick, Ventolin inhaler, nebulizer agonists (SABAs) HFA, AccuNeb
Levalbuterol Xopenex HFA Metered dose inhaler, nebulizer
Short-acting Ipratropium Atrovent HFA Metered dose inhaler, nebulizer anticholinergics
Short-acting Albuterol and Combivent Respimat, Soft mist inhaler, nebulizer combinations ipratropium DuoNeb
Arformoterol Brovana Nebulizer
Formoterol Perforomist Nebulizer
Dry powder inhaler (medicine Long-acting beta comes in a pill that you put into the Indacaterol Arcapta Neohaler agonists inhaler when it's time to take a dose). Use only once a day.
Olodaterol Striverdi Respimat Soft mist inhaler
Salmeterol Serevent Diskus Dry powder inhaler Medication Type Generic name Sample U.S. How it's given brands Dry powder inhaler (must be Aclidinium Tudorza Pressair used twice a day)
Dry powder inhaler (medicine Glycopyrrolate Seebri Neohaler, comes in a pill that you put into (glycopyrronium) Lonhala Magnair the inhaler when it is time to take a dose), nebulizer
Long-acting Revefenacin Yupelri Nebulizer anticholinergics Dry powder inhaler (medicine comes in a pill that you put into Spiriva HandiHaler Tiotropium the inhaler when it's time to take a dose)
Spiriva Respimat Soft mist inhaler
Umeclidinium Incruse Ellipta Dry powder inhaler
Beclomethasone QVAR Metered dose inhaler
Pulmicort Flexhaler, Budesonide Dry powder inhaler, nebulizer Pulmicort
Ciclesonide Alvesco Metered dose inhaler
Inhaled steroid Fluticasone furoate Arnuity Ellipta Dry powder inhaler medicines Fluticasone Flovent Diskus, Dry powder inhaler, metered propionate Flovent HFA dose inhaler
Asmanex Dry powder inhaler, metered Mometasone Twisthaler, dose inhaler Asmanex HFA Sample U.S. Medicine Type Generic name How it's given brands
Budesonide and Symbicort Metered dose inhaler formoterol
Steroid and long- Fluticasone and Advair Diskus, Dry powder inhaler, metered dose acting beta salmeterol Advair HFA inhaler agonist combinations Fluticasone and Breo Ellipta Dry powder inhaler vilanterol
Mometasone Dulera Metered dose inhaler and formoterol
Glycopyrrolate Dry powder inhaler (medicine comes in Utibron (glycopyrronium) a pill that you put into the inhaler Neohaler and indacaterol when it is time to take a dose) Anticholinergic and Tiotropium and Stiolto long-acting beta Soft mist inhaler agonist combinations olodaterol Respimat Umeclidinium Anoro Ellipta Dry powder inhaler and vilanterol
Steroid- Fluticasone anticholinergic-long- furoate, Trelegy Ellipta Dry powder inhaler acting beta agonist umeclidinium, combinations and vilanterol
Roflumilast Roflumilast Daliresp Pill
Source: Ferguson, G., Make, B. Management of refractory chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2020