Ciclesonide “no better than older medicines”

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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7477 p518
10 November 2007

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Ciclesonide “no better than older medicines”

Ciclesonide appears to offer no advantage over older inhaled corticosteroids, the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin has concluded (2007;45:86).

The DTB says that, at licensed doses, ciclesonide is as effective as standard doses of fluticasone or budesonide and does not appear to have any clinically relevant advantages over these drugs in terms of safety. The DTB also points out that there are no published studies comparing licensed doses of ciclesonide either with licensed doses of beclometasone, the most commonly prescribed corticosteroid, or with high doses of other inhaled corticosteroids.

Antipsychotics

This month’s DTB also examines the safety of antipsychotics in dementia and recommends non-drug therapies be used as first-line treatment for behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with dementia. It suggests that antipsychotic drug treatment is only appropriate after target symptoms have been identified and comorbidities considered.