The bronchodilator activity and side-effects of treatment for 4 days with either 0.085, 0.170 or 0.34 mg/kg bambuterol b.i.d. (a prodrug of terbutaline) or 0.071 mg/kg terbutaline t.i.d. have been evaluated over 12 h, in a double-blind, randomized crossover trial in 19 asthmatic out-patients. Plasma terbutaline concentrations after bambuterol administration were smoother, with a ratio between the maximum and minimum values of about 1.4 compared to 2.6 for terbutaline. The plasma terbutaline level rose with dose, but by less than the increase in dose. The bronchodilator effect was related to the plasma terbutaline concentration in each treatment group, so bambuterol produced more prolonged bronchodilatation than treatment with terbutaline. Tremor and cardiac side-effects were most pronounced after administration of bambuterol 0.34 mg/kg. No severe side-effects were seen. Bambuterol produced stable plasma levels of terbutaline, indicating that as a prodrug of terbutaline it might possibly be administered once daily with good antiasthmatic effect.