Acute dose-response studies in bronchial asthma with a new corticosteroid, budesonide.

1 Budesonide is an epimeric mixture of a new synthetic non-halogenated glucocorticoid (16 alpha, 17 alpha,-(22R,S)-prophylmethylenedioxypregna-1,4-diene-11/3,21-diol-3, 20-dione). 2 Acute dose response studies with three different inhaled doses of budesonide, have been carried out in a group of 12 chronic asthmatic patients. 3 The lowest dose (100 micrograms) of inhaled budesonide produced a more marked effect in relieving airflow obstruction, than a much larger (1600 micrograms) oral dose of the drug. 4 When the area under the curve for peak expiratory flow rate values was calculated, a dose-response relationship could be seen between the different inhaled doses. 5 It appears that budesonide has a predominantly local anti-asthmatic action in the lung.