Compounds and methods for the treatment of airway diseases and for the delivery of airway drugs

A method of treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a subject in need of such treatment, comprising administering at least one osmotically active compound to an airway surface of the subject in an amount effective to increase the volume of liquid on the airway surface, wherein the at least one osmotically active compound comprises at least one salt comprising:

• (a) a pharmaceutically acceptable anion selected from the group consisting of acetate, benzenesulfonate, benzoate, bitartrate, bromide, calcium edetate, camsylate, carbonate, chloride, citrate, dihydrochloride, edetate, edisylate, estolate, esylate, fumarate, gluceptate, gluconate, glutamate, glycollylarsanilate, hexylresorcinate, hydrabamine, hydrobromide, hydrochloride, hydroxynaphthoate, iodide, isethionate, lactate, lactobionate, malate, maleate, mandelate, mesylate, methylbromide, methylnitrate, methylsulfate, mucate, napsylate, nitrate, pamoate, pantothenate, phosphate or diphosphate, polygalacturonate, salicylate, stearate, subacetate, succinate, sulfate, tannate, tannate, teoclate and triethiodide;
• and
• (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable cation selected from the group consisting of benzathine, chloroprocaine, choline, diethanolamine, ethylenediamine, meglumine, procaine, D-Lysine, L-lysine, D-arginine, L-arginine, uiethylammonium, N-methyl Do glycerol, aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, iron, and ammonium.