Prednisolone

Not to be confused with Prednisone.

Prednisolone
Clinical data
Trade namesOrapred, PediaPred, Millipred, others
Other names11,17-Dihydroxy-17-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-10,13-dimethyl-6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-dodecahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa615042
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		By mouth, intravenous, topical, ophthalmic
Drug classGlucocorticoid
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • UK: POM (Prescription only)
  • US: ℞-only
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Elimination half-life2–3.5 hours[2][3][4]
Excretionurine
Identifiers
  • (11β)-11,17,21-Trihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.000.020 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC21H28O5
Molar mass360.450 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • O=C\1\C=C/[C@]4(/C(=C/1)CC[C@@H]2[C@@H]4[C@@H](O)C[C@@]3([C@@](O)(C(=O)CO)CC[C@@H]23)C)C
  • InChI=1S/C21H28O5/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/h5,7,9,14-16,18,22,24,26H,3-4,6,8,10-11H2,1-2H3/t14-,15-,16-,18+,19-,20-,21-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:OIGNJSKKLXVSLS-VWUMJDOOSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Prednisolone is a corticosteroid, a steroid hormone used to treat certain types of allergies, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune disorders, and cancers.[5][6] Some of these conditions include adrenocortical insufficiency, high blood calcium, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatitis, eye inflammation, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.[6] It can be taken by mouth, injected into a vein, used topically as a skin cream, or as eye drops.[7][8][6] It differs from the similarly named prednisone in having a hydroxyl at the 11th carbon instead of a ketone.

Common side effects with short-term use include nausea, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, increased appetite, and fatigue.[5] More severe side effects include psychiatric problems, which may occur in about 5% of people.[9] Common side effects with long-term use include bone loss, weakness, yeast infections, and easy bruising.[6] While short-term use in the later part of pregnancy is safe, long-term use or use in early pregnancy is occasionally associated with harm to the baby.[1] It is a glucocorticoid made from hydrocortisone (cortisol).[10]

Prednisolone was discovered and approved for medical use in 1955.[10] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[11] It is available as a generic drug.[6] In 2022, it was the 136th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 4 million prescriptions.[12][13]

  1. ^ a b "Prednisolone Use During Pregnancy". Drugs. 16 January 2000. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  2. ^ Pickup ME (1979). "Clinical pharmacokinetics of prednisone and prednisolone". Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 4 (2): 111–28. doi:10.2165/00003088-197904020-00004. PMID 378499. S2CID 12218704.
  3. ^ Bergrem H, Grøttum P, Rugstad HE (1983). "Pharmacokinetics and protein binding of prednisolone after oral and intravenous administration". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 24 (3): 415–9. doi:10.1007/BF00610064. PMID 6861855. S2CID 33189235.
  4. ^ Bashar T, Apu MN, Mostaid MS, Islam MS, Hasnat A (2018). "Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability Study of a Prednisolone Tablet as a Single Oral Dose in Bangladeshi Healthy Volunteers". Dose-response. 16 (3). doi:10.1177/1559325818783932. PMC 6073839. PMID 30083083.
  5. ^ a b Stuart MC, Kouimtzi M, Hill SR, eds. (2009). WHO Model Formulary 2008. World Health Organization. pp. 53–54. hdl:10665/44053. ISBN 978-924154765-9.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Prednisolone". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Orapred ODT label was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Omnipred label was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Pevanti 10mg Tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) – (eMC)". Medicines. UK. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. ^ a b Kim KW, Roh JK, Wee HJ, Kim C (2016). Cancer Drug Discovery: Science and History. Springer. p. 169. ISBN 978-940240844-7. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Prednisolone Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.