Combination of dehydroepiandrosterone or dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate with a lipoxygenase inhibitor for treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A pharmaceutical composition, comprising a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier, a first active agent and a second active agent effective to treat asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or a respiratory or lung disease,

• (a) the first active agent is at least one of a non-glucocorticoid steroid selected from a non-glucocorticoid steroid having the chemical formula
• and a non-glucocorticoid steroid of the chemical formula
• wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8, R9, R10, R12, R13, R14 and R19 are independently H, OR, halogen, (C1-C10)alkyl or (C1-C10)alkoxy, R5 and R11 are independently OH, SH, H halogen, pharmaceutically acceptable ester, pharmaceutically acceptable thioester, pharmaceutically acceptable ether, pharmaceutically-acceptable thioether, pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic esters, pharmaceutically acceptable monosaccharide, disaccharide or oligosaccharide, spirooxirane, spirothirane, —OSO2R20, —OPOR20R21 or (C1-C10)alky, R5 and R6 taken together are ═O, R10 and R11 taken together are ═O;
• R15 is (1) H, halogen, (C1-C10)alkyl, or (C1-C10)alkoxy when R16 is —C(O)OR22, (2) H, halogen, OH or (C1-C10)alkyl when R16 is halogen, OH or (C1-C10)alkyl, (3) H, halogen, (C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C10)alkenyl, (C1-C10)alkynyl, formyl, (C1-C10)alkanoyl or epoxy when R16 is OH, (4) OR, SH, H, halogen, pharmaceutically acceptable ester, pharmaceutically acceptable thioester, pharmaceutically acceptable ether, pharmaceutically acceptable thioether, pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic esters, pharmaceutically acceptable monosaccharide, disaccharide or oligosaccharide, spirooxirane, spirothirane, —OSO2R20 or —OPOR20R21 when R16 is H, or R15 and R16 taken together are ═O;
• R17 and R18 are independently (1) H, —OH, halogen, (C1-C10)alkyl or —(C1-C10)alkoxy when R6 is H OR, halogen. (C1-C10)alkyl or —C(O)OR22, (2) H, (C1-C10 alkyl)amino, ((C1-C10)alkyl)n.amino-(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C10)alkoxy, hydroxy-(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C10)alkoxy-(C1-C10)alkyl, (halogen)m (C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C10)alkanoyl, formyl, (C1-C10)carbalkoxy or (C1-C10)alkanoyloxy when R15 and R16 taken together are ═O, (3) R17 and R18 taken together are ═O;
• (4) R17 or R18 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached form a 3-6 member ring containing 0 or 1 oxygen atom;
• or (5) R15 and R17 taken together with the carbons to which they are attached form an epoxide ring;
• R20 and R21 are independently OH, pharmaceutically acceptable ester or pharmaceutically acceptable ether;
• R22 is H, (halogen)m (C1-C10)alkyl or (C1-C10)alkyl;
• n is 0, 1 or 2;
• and m is 1, 2 or 3;
• or pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salts thereof, and
• (b) the second active agent is a lipoxygenase inhibitor.