Safety and Efficacy of Budesonide Oral Suspension Maintenance Therapy in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
BACKGROUND & AIMS
We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of budesonide oral suspension (BOS) maintenance therapy in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).


METHODS
We performed an open-label extension study of a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with EoE (11-40 years old) who completed double-blind BOS (n = 45) or placebo therapy (n = 37) received 24 weeks' open-label BOS (2.0 mg once daily for 12 weeks, with optional dose increase [1.5-2.0 mg twice daily] for 12 weeks thereafter). Predefined efficacy outcomes included: proportion of patients with a histologic response (≤6 eosinophils/high-power field [eos/hpf]) and change in mean peak eosinophil counts after 24 weeks. Analyses were stratified by patients who received placebo (placebo/BOS) or BOS (BOS/BOS) during the double-blind trial.


RESULTS
BOS was well tolerated and drug-related adverse events were uncommon (placebo/BOS, 19% [7/37]; BOS/BOS, 4% [2/45]). Incidence of oral candidiasis (1 per group) and esophageal candidiasis (placebo/BOS group, n = 4) remained low. Changes in morning serum cortisol levels were not clinically relevant. A histologic response was observed in 49% (16/33) of patients receiving placebo/BOS and 23% (9/39) receiving BOS/BOS. Mean peak eosinophil counts (baseline vs week 24 or early termination) were: placebo/BOS, 118.8 vs 29.1; P < .001 and BOS/BOS, 38.1 vs 72.4; P = .01. Of the patients who responded to double-blind therapy, 42% maintained a histologic response during the open-label extension; 4% of nonresponders gained response.


CONCLUSIONS
In an open-label extension study of patients with EoE, BOS was well tolerated and drug-related adverse events were uncommon. BOS maintained a histologic response in some initial responders, but few initial nonresponders had a response. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT01642212.
['Dellon|Evan S|ES|', 'Katzka|David A|DA|', 'Collins|Margaret H|MH|', 'Gupta|Sandeep K|SK|', 'Lan|Lan|L|', 'Williams|James|J|', 'Hirano|Ikuo|I|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000818:Animals D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents D019819:Budesonide D002648:Child D004311:Double-Blind Method D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions D057765:Eosinophilic Esophagitis D005260:Female D006801:Humans D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy D008297:Male D010919:Placebos D016896:Treatment Outcome D055815:Young Adult
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