The chronic use of β-adrenergic inverse agonists such as nadolol, carvedilol, and ICI-118,551 provides an improved method for the treatment of mucus hypersecretion in subjects with such mucus hypersecretion or at risk of developing mucus hypersecretion, especially in subjects attempting smoking cessation. One aspect of a method according to the present invention is a method of preventing or controlling mucus hypersecretion in the respiratory tract comprising administering a therapeutically effective quantity of a β-adrenergic inverse agonist to a subject with mucus hypersecretion or at risk of mucus hypersecretion. Another aspect of a method according to the present invention is a method of treating or preventing a disease or condition characterized by mucus hypersecretion comprising administering a therapeutically effective quantity of a β-adrenergic inverse agonist to a subject with such a disease or condition or at risk of contracting such a disease or condition. The inverse agonist can be used together with a therapeutically effective quantity of an additional compound to treat mucus hypersecretion, or, in the case of the use of the β-adrenergic inverse agonist in subjects attempting smoking cessation, a therapeutically effective quantity of an additional compound to promote smoking cessation. The invention further encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising the β-adrenergic inverse agonist and the additional compound.
