Compounded Oral Viscous Budesonide is Effective and Provides a Durable Response in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Abstract

Aim Because no approved medications exist for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), patients must use off-label drugs or create their own formulations. We assessed the efficacy of a standardized compounded budesonide suspension for treatment of EoE. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of EoE patients at the University of North Carolina treated with compounded budesonide dispensed by a specialty compounding pharmacy. Outcomes (symptomatic global response [yes/no], endoscopic response [% with individual findings], and histologic response [absolute eosinophil count; % with <15 eos/hpf])were assessed after the initial and last treatment in our system. Results We identified 48 patients treated with compounded budesonide (mean age 33.6; 69% male; 96% white; 2.4 mg mean initial dose). After a mean length of follow-up of 17.0 months (range: 4.2 - 56.3), there was a significant decrease in symptoms of dysphagia (95% vs. 32%, p < 0.001), improvements in heartburn (37% vs. 11%, p=0.06) and global symptom response (81%). The median of the peak eosinophil counts decreased from 55 to 20 eos/hpf (p<0.001) with 42% achieving a response of <15 eos/hpf. Esophageal candidiasis was rare (6%). In the 18 patients with prior non-response to corticosteroids or dietary elimination, 83% had symptomatic and 38% had histologic response. Conclusion Compounded budesonide suspension produced a durable symptomatic, endoscopic, and histologic response in a cohort followed for more than a year. Many patients previously refractory to prior therapy responded to compounded budesonide. This formulation can be used clinically until there are approved drugs with esophageal formulations for EoE.