The story
Probably from sal(butamol)[Term?] + -terol (“phenethylamine derivative”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
salmeterol
Today it means: A bronchodilator administered by oral inhalation in the form of a salt C₂₅H₃₇NO₄·C₁₁H₈O₃ to treat bronchospasm associated especially with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It acts as an agonist, binding to beta-receptors that mediate the relaxation of bronchial muscles. Full definition →