Montelukast
SingulairPubChem CID 5281040 · 3D model
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Blocks a chemical messenger in the body that triggers airway swelling and tightening, helping keep airways open.
How it works
When your body reacts to allergens or asthma triggers, it releases chemicals called leukotrienes that make airways swell, tighten, and produce extra mucus. Montelukast works by blocking the receptor these chemicals attach to, so they can't deliver their inflammatory signal. This helps prevent the airway tightening and swelling before it starts, rather than reversing it once it's already happening. Because of this, it's taken regularly to prevent symptoms rather than used for sudden relief during an attack.
What it’s used for
Used for long-term control of asthma, to prevent breathing trouble triggered by exercise, and to relieve symptoms of seasonal or year-round nasal allergies when other allergy treatments haven't worked well enough.
- Mechanism
- Leukotriene receptor (CysLT1) antagonist
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Respiratory