Budesonide

Budesonide is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that exhibits potent glucocorticoid activity and weak mineralocorticoid activity. The precise mechanism of corticosteroid actions on inflammation in asthma, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis is not known. Inflammation is an important component in the pathogenesis of asthma. Corticosteroids have been shown to have a wide range of inhibitory activities against multiple cell types (eg, mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes) and mediators (eg, histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, and cytokines) involved in allergic and non-allergic-mediated inflammation. These anti-inflammatory actions of corticosteroids may contribute to their efficacy in the aforementioned diseases. Because budesonide undergoes significant first-pass elimination, the both oral preparations are formulated as an extended release tablet. As a result, budesonide release is delyaed until exposure to a pH ≥ 7 in the small intestine.