A New Low-Risk Therapy for Ulcerative Proctitis and Proctosigmoiditis

Safe, effective alternatives to conventional steroid therapy are lacking in the treatment of ulcerative proctitis and ulcerative proctosigmoiditis.

In two identically designed, industry-funded, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, investigators assessed the effectiveness of budesonide foam (2 mg per 25 mL twice daily for 2 weeks, then once daily for 4 weeks) in 546 patients with ulcerative proctitis or ulcerative proctosigmoiditis.

At week 6, treatment with budesonide foam resulted in significantly higher remission rates, resolution of bleeding, and endoscopic improvement compared with placebo, as follows:

• Remission rates were 38.3% for foam versus 25.8% for placebo in study one, and 44.0% versus 22.4% in study two.

• Resolution…