Many different therapeutic approaches to the treatment of asthma may be possible, yet there have been few new drugs that have reached the clinic. β2-agonists are by far the most effective bronchodilator drugs that lead to rapid symptomatic relief. Now that inhaled β2-agonists with a long duration of action have been developed, it is difficult to imagine that more effective bronchodilators could be discovered. Similarly, inhaled glucocorticoids are extremely effective as chronic treatment in asthma, and they suppress the underlying inflammatory process. There is increasing evidence that earlier use of inhaled glucocorticoids may not only control asthma effectively but also prevent irreversible changes in airway function. Future developments in asthma therapy should be directed toward inflammatory mechanisms and more specific therapy should be developed. The possibility of developing a cure for asthma seems remote, but when more is known about the genetic abnormalities of asthma, it may be possible to search for such a therapy. Advances in molecular biology may aid the development of the drugs that can specifically switch off relevant genes, but more must be discovered about the basic mechanisms of asthma before such advances are possible.