Ciclesonide, a Hypotonic Intranasal Corticosteroid

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) are established as the first-line treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) in both adults and children. Compared with other nasal allergy medications, INCSs are the most effective at providing symptom relief and increasing quality of life. Ciclesonide nasal spray is the most recently approved INCS. The formulation of ciclesonide does not contain benzylalkonium chloride or phenyl ethyl alcohol, excipients that have been associated with reduced mucociliary transport, and unpleasant sensory perceptions. Additionally, ciclesonide has been formulated in a hypotonic suspension that has been shown to optimize intranasal absorption and it has a lower volume of spray compared with most other INCS products. Systemic exposure to ciclesonide and its active metabolite desisobutyryl-ciclesonide is low after intranasal administration. High protein binding ( approximately 99%) and rapid first-pass clearance further reduce systemic exposure to the drug. Studies up to 1 year have shown that intranasal ciclesonide does not cause cortisol suppression as monotherapy and does not have an additive effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function when administered in combination with inhaled corticosteroids. The efficacy of ciclesonide, 200 microg/day, has been shown in pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients with moderate to severe seasonal AR and perennial AR treated for up to 1 year. Additionally, environmental exposure unit studies have established an onset of action as early as 1 hour after administration. Ciclesonide nasal spray has also been shown to have an acceptable safety profile in patients with AR as young as 2 years of age. Thus, intranasal ciclesonide appears to provide an additional effective treatment option for patients with AR.