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Budesonide

Budesonide is a corticosteroid used to control asthma symptoms and to treat Crohn’s disease of the bowel. This catalogue lists five budesonide medicines, including Entocort, Rhinocort and Budecort Inhaler, and two more.

Entocort

Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis

100mcg · 200mcg

Budesonide capsules for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. They work mainly in the gut, so they have fewer whole-body effects.

From$51.90/ inhalerView

Rhinocort

Allergic Rhinitis, Nasal Polyps

100mcg · 200mcg

Budesonide inhaler for hay fever and nasal polyps. It reduces inflammation in the nasal passages.

From$50.83/ inhalerView

Budecort Inhaler

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

100mcg · 200mcg

A budesonide inhaler for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is a preventer, not a reliever, so it is used daily to reduce airway inflammation.

From$35.56/ inhalerView

Foracort Inhaler

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

100mcg + 6mcg · 200mcg + 6mcg · 400mcg + 6mcg

Formoterol and budesonide inhaler for asthma and COPD. The budesonide reduces swelling while formoterol opens the airways.

From$40.40/ inhalerView

Budez Cr

Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis

3mg

Budesonide capsules for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It releases in the gut to act locally, so fewer side effects reach the rest of the body.

From$0.48/ capsuleView

Key points

  • Budesonide belongs to the corticosteroid class of medicines, and its inhaled form works by reducing swelling and irritation in the airways to ease breathing.
  • Inhaled budesonide can prevent asthma attacks such as sudden breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, but it does not stop an attack that has already started, so a fast-acting rescue inhaler is still needed.
  • Budesonide delayed-release capsules are labelled for mild to moderate active Crohn’s disease involving the ileum and/or the ascending colon, in patients aged 8 and older.
  • In the UAE and the wider Gulf, budesonide is also known by the brand name Pulmicort Turbuhaler, an inhaled form of the same active ingredient.

Brands and forms in this catalogue

This catalogue’s five budesonide medicines come from three companies: AstraZeneca, Cipla Ltd and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. AstraZeneca originates Entocort and Rhinocort, which are listed here as single-ingredient budesonide medicines. Cipla Ltd makes Budecort Inhaler, which contains budesonide on its own, and Foracort Inhaler, which combines budesonide with the bronchodilator formoterol; both are listed for Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, within Respiratory Health. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd originates Budez CR, a 3 mg capsule listed for Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis.

Common questions about Budesonide

Is Rhinocort used for the same thing as the inhalers in this catalogue?

No. Rhinocort is a separate single-ingredient budesonide medicine listed for allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps, not asthma. It shares the same active ingredient as Budecort Inhaler and Foracort Inhaler but is listed for a different condition.

What should I know about budesonide’s effect on the immune system?

Corticosteroids such as budesonide can suppress the immune system, raising the risk of viral, bacterial, fungal and other infections, including potentially fatal varicella (chickenpox) and measles. This is a labelled warning for people using budesonide-based medicines.

Why is the Budez CR capsule described as delayed release?

The capsule is a hard gelatin shell filled with granules coated to resist dissolving until they reach a less acidic part of the gut, above pH 5.5, so budesonide is released later in the digestive tract rather than in the stomach.

Further reading

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