Mr. Ibrahem/Prednisone
Clinical data
Trade namesDeltasone, Liquid Pred, Orasone, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa601102
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: A
Routes of
administration
By mouth
Drug classGlucocorticoid[1]
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability70%
Metabolismprednisolone (liver)
Elimination half-life3 to 4 hours in adults. 1 to 2 hours in children[2]
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • 17,21-dihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,11,20-trione
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC21H26O5
Molar mass358.434 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point230 °C (446 °F)
  • O=C(CO)[C@@]3(O)CC[C@H]2[C@@H]4CC\C1=C\C(=O)\C=C/[C@]1(C)[C@H]4C(=O)C[C@@]23C
  • InChI=1S/C21H26O5/c1-19-7-5-13(23)9-12(19)3-4-14-15-6-8-21(26,17(25)11-22)20(15,2)10-16(24)18(14)19/h5,7,9,14-15,18,22,26H,3-4,6,8,10-11H2,1-2H3/t14-,15-,18+,19-,20-,21-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:XOFYZVNMUHMLCC-ZPOLXVRWSA-N checkY
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Prednisone is a glucocorticoid medication mostly used to suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in conditions such as asthma, COPD, and rheumatologic diseases.[1] It is also used to treat high blood calcium due to cancer and adrenal insufficiency along with other steroids.[1] It is taken by mouth.[1]

Common side effects with long term use include cataracts, bone loss, easy bruising, muscle weakness, and thrush.[1] Other side effects include weight gain, swelling, high blood sugar, increased risk of infection, and psychosis.[4][1] It is generally considered safe in pregnancy and low doses appear to be safe when breastfeeding.[5] After prolonged use, prednisone needs to be stopped gradually.[1]

Prednisone must be converted to prednisolone by the liver before it becomes active.[6][7] Prednisolone then binds to glucocorticoid receptors, activating them and triggering changes in gene expression.[4]

Prednisone was patented in 1954 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1955.[1][8] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[9] It is available as a generic medication.[1] In the United States, the wholesale cost per dose was less than US$0.30 in 2018.[10] In 2017, it was the 22nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 25 million prescriptions.[11][12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Prednisone Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. AHFS. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  2. ^ Pickup ME (1979). "Clinical pharmacokinetics of prednisone and prednisolone". Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 4 (2): 111–28. doi:10.2165/00003088-197904020-00004. PMID 378499.
  3. ^ "WHOCC - ATC/DDD Index". www.whocc.no. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Brunton, Laurence (2017). Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics (13 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 739, 746, 1237. ISBN 978-1-25-958473-2.
  5. ^ "Prednisone Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Product Information Panafcort (prednisone) Panafcortelone (prednisolone)" (PDF). TGA eBusiness Services. St Leonards, Australia: Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd. 11 July 2017. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  7. ^ Buttgereit F, Gibofsky A (June 2013). "Delayed-release prednisone - a new approach to an old therapy". Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 14 (8): 1097–106. doi:10.1517/14656566.2013.782001. PMID 23594208.
  8. ^ Fischer, Janos; Ganellin, C. Robin (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 485. ISBN 9783527607495. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  9. ^ World Health Organization (2023). The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.
  10. ^ "NADAC as of 2018-12-19". Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  11. ^ "The Top 300 of 2020". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Prednisone - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. 1 December 1981. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.