A pharmacological approach to enhancing the therapeutic index of corticosteroids in airway inflammatory disease

Inhaled corticosteroids are highly effective agents for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although local delivery to the lung has led to significant progress towards minimising side effects associated with systemic exposure, additional opportunities exist for further enhancement of the therapeutic index. Recent developments in the molecular and structural understanding of corticosteroid biology have made it increasingly clear that novel corticosteroids with intrinsically different pharmacology can be designed.