Inhaled budesonide, a drug commonly used for asthma, appears to reduce the need for hospitalization for COVID-19, according to a study from Oxford University.
The researchers conducted a 28-day study of 148 patients, half of whom took 800 micrograms of inhaled budesonide, sold as Pulmicort AstraZeneca, twice a day.
The findings suggested that inhaled budesonide reduced the risk of urgent care or hospitalization by 90 percent during the study period, the school said. The study also found that the drug had a “faster resolution of fever, symptoms and fewer persistent symptoms” after 28 days.
Oxford University said the study was inspired by the fact that patients with chronic respiratory diseases, who are often prescribed inhaled steroids, were underrepresented among those hospitalized with COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic.
The findings were published on the pre-print server medRxivand were not evaluated by colleagues.
“Vaccination programs are really interesting, but we know it will take some time to reach everyone around the world,” said Professor Mona Bafadhel, who led the process, in a statement. I am encouraged that a relatively safe, widely available and well-studied drug, such as an inhaled steroid, could have an impact on the pressures we experience during the pandemic.
The study was funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Center and AstraZeneca, with which Oxford University co-created the COVID-19 AZD1222 vaccine.