TREATMENT OF ACTIVE CROHNS ILEOCOLITIS WITH ORAL PH-MODIFIED BUDESONIDE

Budesonide is a topical steroid which after intestinal absorption is r apidly degraded into inactive metabolites in the liver. Its systemic b ioavailability is only 10-15%. In the present open trial the efficiacy and safety of oral pH-modified release budesonide were assessed in pa tients with active Crohn's ileocolitis. This report describes the resu lts of the first 30 of 78 patients. After 6 weeks of treatment with 3 x 3 mg budesonide/day 67% of the patients were in clinical remission. Typical steroid-related side effects were observed in only one patient . Budesonide therefore seems to be suited as an alternative for classi cal steroids in patients with Crohn's ileocolitis. Its clinical effica cy is comparable with classical steroids but it's rate of steroid-rela ted side effects is lower.