Beclomethasone, also known as beclomethasone dipropionate, and sold under the brand name Qvar among others, is a steroid medication. It is available as an inhaler, cream, pills, and nasal spray. The inhaled form is used in the long-term management of asthma. The cream may be used for dermatitis and psoriasis. The pills have been used to treat ulcerative colitis. The nasal spray is used to treat allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps. Common side effects with the inhaled form include respiratory infections, headaches, and throat inflammation. Serious side effects include an increased risk of infection, cataracts, Cushing's syndrome, and severe allergic reactions. Long-term use of the pill form may cause

adrenal insufficiency Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones. The adrenal gland normally secretes glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol), mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone), and androge ...

. The pills may also cause mood or personality changes. The inhaled form is generally regarded as safe in pregnancy. Beclometasone is mainly a glucocorticoid. Beclomethasone dipropionate was first patented in 1962 and used medically in 1972. It was approved for medical use in the United States in 1976. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2020, it was the 220th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2million prescriptions.

Side effects

Common side effects with the inhaled form include respiratory infections, headaches, and throat inflammation. Serious side effects include an increased risk of infection, cataracts, Cushing's syndrome, and severe allergic reactions. Long-term use of the pill form may cause

. The pills may also cause mood or personality changes. The inhaled form is generally regarded as safe in pregnancy. Occasionally, it may cause a cough upon inhalation. Deposition on the tongue and throat may promote oral candidiasis, which appears as a white coating, possibly with irritation. This may usually be prevented by rinsing the mouth with water after using the inhaler. Other adverse drug reaction side effects may rarely include: a smell similar to burning plastic, unpleasant taste, hoarseness or nasal congestion, pain or headache, and visual changes. Allergic reactions may occur, but rarely. Nasal corticosteroids may be associated with

central serous retinopathy Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC or CSCR), also known as central serous retinopathy (CSR), is an eye disease that causes visual impairment, often temporary, usually in one eye. When the disorder is active it is characterized by leakage of f ...

Pharmacology

Beclometasone is mainly a glucocorticoid. Glucocorticoids are corticosteroids that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor that is present in almost every vertebrate animal cell. The activated glucocorticoid receptor-glucocorticoid complex up-regulates the expression of anti-inflammatory proteins in the

nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucle ...

(a process known as transactivation) and represses the expression of proinflammatory proteins in the cytosol by preventing the

translocation Translocation may refer to: * Chromosomal translocation, a chromosome abnormality caused by rearrangement of parts ** Robertsonian translocation, a chromosomal rearrangement in pairs 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22 ** Nonreciprocal translocation, transfer ...

of other transcription factors from the cytosol into the nucleus ( transrepression). Glucocorticoids are part of the feedback mechanism in the immune system which reduces certain aspects of immune function, such as inflammation.

Names

Beclometasone dipropionate is the INN modified and beclomethasone dipropionate is the USAN and former

BAN Ban, or BAN, may refer to: Law * Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item ** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...

. It is a

prodrug A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...

of the free form, beclometasone (INN). The prodrug beclometasone is marketed in Norway and Russia. Clenil, Qvar, Cortis are brandnames for the inhalers; Beconase, Alanase, Vancenase, Qnasl for the nasal spray or aerosol.

References

External links

* {{portal bar, Medicine Antiasthmatic drugs Corticosteroid esters GSK plc brands Glucocorticoids Organochlorides Propionate esters World Health Organization essential medicines Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate