Novel soft steroids: effects on cell growth in vitro and on wound healing in the mouse.

Evaluation of three "soft" steroids is described. The test compounds were compared with the standard anti-inflammatory steroids betamethasone and prednicarbate in two studies. Soft steroids are designed based on the "inactive metabolite approach" to be rapidly inactivated by predictable metabolism after performing their therapeutic function. Consequently, lower circulating (peripheral) levels of potentially harmful steroids result, and undesirable systemic and local side effects are minimized. The soft and standard steroids behaved similarly in an in vitro cell culture model, whereas in a whole animal study the advantages of the soft steroids were evident.