Pranlukast is a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor-1 antagonist. Medications of this class, which go under a variety of names according to whether one looks at the American, British or European system of nomenclature, have as their primary function the antagonism of bronchospasm caused, principally in asthmatics, by an allergic reaction to accidentally or inadvertently encountered allergens. Medications of this group are normally used as an adjunct to the standard therapy of inhaled steroids with inhaled long- and/or short-acting beta-agonists. There are several similar medications in the group; all appear to be equally effective. Pranlukast (PLK) is a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) that has been approved for treatment of asthma in patients of all ages and allergic rhinitis (AR) in adults but not for AR in children in Japan.
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