Comparison of efficacy and safety between flunisolide/AeroChamber and budesonide/turbuhaler in patients with moderate asthma

Background: There is a limited body of evidence comparing the clinical effe cts of different inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma. This s tudy compared the safety and efficacy of inhaled flunisolide and budesonide , both with unique delivery systems that may affect clinical response. Objective: This multicenter study was carried out to compare the efficacy a nd safety of flunisolide, administered via AeroChamber, with budesonide, ad ministered via Turbuhaler, in the treatment of moderate asthma. Methods: Patients with moderate asthma, defined as an FEV, of 40% to 85% of predicted, underwent a 2-week run-in period during which beclomethasone, 7 50 mu g twice daily by MDI, was administered, along with salbutamol pm. Pat ients (n = 176) were then randomized into two groups. One group received fl unisolide administered via AeroChamber, 750 mu g (3 puffs), twice daily. Th e second group received budesonide administered via Turbuhaler, 600 mu g (3 puffs), twice daily. All patients took salbutamol pm. Results: At the end of the 6-week treatment period, there were no significa nt differences (P > .05 for all comparisons) in efficacy between the groups as evaluated by any efficacy parameter. The treatment groups also did not differ significantly in the number of adverse events or in the incidence of oropharyngeal Candida infection. Conclusion: Flunisolide administered by AeroChamber and budesonide administ ered via Turbuhaler demonstrate similar efficacy and safety in the treatmen t of moderate asthma.