budesonide

Also known as (11beta,16alpha)-16,17-[butylidenebis(oxy)]-11,21-dihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione

Budesonide, sold under the brand name Pulmicort, among others, is a steroid medication. It is available as an inhaler, nebulization solution, pill, nasal spray, and rectal foam. The inhaled form is used in the long-term management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The nasal spray is used for allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps. Modified-release pills or capsules and rectal forms may be used for inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and microscopic colitis.

Key facts

Drug.Verifiedfields: changed
Drug.Watchedfields: changed
Drug.verifiedrevid: 459985202
Drug.image: Budesonide skeletal.svg
Drug.image_class: skin-invert-image
Drug.width: 250
Drug.image2: Budesonide ball-and-stick.png
Drug.image_class2: bg-transparent
Drug.width2: 250
Drug.tradename: Budecort, Rhinocort, Entocort, others
Drug.MedlinePlus: a608007
Drug.DailyMedID: Budesonide
Drug.pregnancy_AU: A
Drug.pregnancy_AU_comment: /B3
Drug.routes_of_administration: By mouth, nasal, tracheal, rectal, inhalation
Drug.ATC_prefix: A07
Drug.ATC_suffix: EA06
Drug.ATC_supplemental: , ,

via Wikipedia infobox

Chemical data

Formula: C25H34O6
Molecular weight: 430.5 g/mol
IUPAC name: (1S,2S,4R,8S,9S,11S,12S,13R)-11-hydroxy-8-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-9,13-dimethyl-6-propyl-5,7-dioxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosa-14,17-dien-16-one
SMILES: CCCC1O[C@@H]2C[C@H]3[C@@H]4CCC5=CC(=O)C=C[C@@]5([C@H]4[C@H](C[C@@]3([C@@]2(O1)C(=O)CO)C)O)C
InChIKey: VOVIALXJUBGFJZ-KWVAZRHASA-N
XLogP: 2.5
Polar surface area: 93.1 Å²
H-bond donors: 2
H-bond acceptors: 6
Formal charge: 0

via PubChem

Research

8,200 papers

Inhaled Combined Budesonide-Formoterol as Needed in Mild Asthma.The New England journal of medicine · 2018
As-Needed Budesonide-Formoterol versus Maintenance Budesonide in Mild Asthma.The New England journal of medicine · 2018
Reviewing the therapeutic role of budesonide in Crohn's disease.Gastroenterologia y hepatologia · 2018
Inhaled budesonide/formoterol combination.Drugs · 2001
Budesonide Versus Mesalamine in Microscopic Colitis: A Comparative Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of clinical gastroenterology · 2025

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Mass: 430.235539
Has use: medication

Show 10 more facts

chemical formula: C₂₅H₃₄O₆
Commons category: Budesonide
defined daily dose: 0.2
isomeric SMILES: CCCC1O[C@@H]2C[C@H]3[C@@H]4CCC5=CC(=O)C=C[C@@]5([C@H]4[C@H](C[C@@]3([C@@]2(O1)C(=O)CO)C)O)C
canonical SMILES: CCCC1OC2CC3C4CCC5=CC(=O)C=CC5(C4C(CC3(C2(O1)C(=O)CO)C)O)C
World Health Organisation international non-proprietary name: budesonidum
subject has role: glucocorticoid
medical condition treated: Crohn's disease
significant drug interaction: moxifloxacin
legal status (medicine): boxed warning

Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~10 min read

Encyclopedic overview

23 sections

Contents

Medical uses
Asthma
Inflammatory bowel disease
Allergic rhinitis
Eosinophilic esophagitis
Berger's disease
Side effects
Overdose
Contraindications
Interactions
Pharmacology
Mechanism of action
Pharmacokinetics
Chemistry
Stereoisomerism
Society and culture
Brand names
Economics
Legal status
Research
COVID-19
References
External links

Common side effects with the inhaled form include respiratory infections, cough, and headaches. Common side effects with the pills include feeling tired, vomiting, and joint pains. Serious side effects include an increased risk of infection, loss of bone strength, and cataracts. Long-term use of the pill form may cause adrenal insufficiency. Stopping the pills suddenly following long-term use may therefore be dangerous. The inhaled form is generally safe in pregnancy. Budesonide chiefly acts as a glucocorticoid.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “budesonide” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.