Orodispersible budesonide tablets for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis: a review of the latest evidence

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus characterized by symptoms of esophageal dysfunction and eosinophil-predominant inflammation. The incidence of EoE has increased substantially over the past two decades in Europe and North America. The natural course of EoE appears to be progressive with a high risk of stricture formation. The current European guideline recommend swallowed topical corticosteroids, proton-pump inhibitors or dietary intervention for initial and long-term treatment of EoE. Swallowed topical corticosteroids can be considered to be the best studied drug class in EoE, with more than 1000 patients enrolled in randomized clinical trials worldwide. In most of them, fluticasone or budesonide formulations have been used that were originally designed for asthma therapy, thus presumably suboptimal for EoE treatment. The new orodispersible budesonide tablet with effervescent properties is the first approved esophageal-targeted formulation specifically developed for the treatment of EoE, which has become available in many European countries. This article gives an overview of the evolution of topical corticosteroids in EoE and provides an update on recent data from large-scale multicenter trials exploring the efficacy and safety of the orodispersible budesonide tablet with effervescent properties in adult EoE patients.