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Abstract
Introduction: Inhaled bronchodilators remain a cornerstone of treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); current guidelines recommend initiating inhaled bronchodilators as either monotherapy or combination therapy depending on disease severity and exacerbation risk to improve air flow and reduce breathlessness. Aclidinium bromide is a twice-daily, long-acting muscarinic antagonist recently approved in the United States and Europe and carries significant promise as an alternative long-acting inhaled antimuscarinic agent for the treatment of moderate-to-severe COPD. Objective: This review describes the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects of aclidinium bromide. Discussion: Clinical trials have demonstrated improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 second, nighttime symptom control, disease-related quality of life, and delay in time to first COPD exacerbation with aclidinium use compared with placebo. Commonly reported adverse effects include headache, nasopharyngitis, and cough. One trial reported narrow-angle glaucoma; however, no other serious adverse events have been reported to date. Conclusion: Overall, aclidinium bromide has been found to be safe and effective for the treatment of moderate-to-severe COPD. Further clinical trials comparing aclidinium bromide to standard therapies are needed to fully elucidate its role in the treatment of COPD.