New Pill To Treat Asthma Shows Promise

BOSTON (CBS) - If you have severe asthma and current treatments don't seem adequate, a new treatment may be on the horizon.

About 1 in 12 people has asthma, a condition which cause tightening and inflammation of the airways in the lungs. It's usually treated with inhalers and occasionally steroid pills, but there hasn't been a new treatment introduced to treat asthma for more than 20 years. That may change.

In a small study, a twice a day pill, called fevipiprant, has shown promise in reducing inflammation in the lungs.

Further study is needed but the hope is that this new drug will help prevent asthma attacks and improve day to day symptoms in patients with the most severe asthma.