Prednisone

Prednisone
Clinical data
Trade names	Deltasone, Liquid Pred, Orasone, others
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a601102
License data	US DailyMed: Prednisone;
Pregnancy; category	AU: A;
Routes of; administration	By mouth
ATC code	A07EA03 (WHO) H02AB07 (WHO);
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); CA: ℞-only; US: ℞-only;
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	70%
Metabolism	prednisolone (liver)
Elimination half-life	3 to 4 hours in adults. 1 to 2 hours in children
Excretion	Kidney
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 17,21-dihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,11,20-trione;
CAS Number	53-03-2 ;
PubChem CID	5865;
IUPHAR/BPS	7096;
DrugBank	DB00635 ;
ChemSpider	5656 ;
UNII	VB0R961HZT;
KEGG	C07370 ;
ChEBI	CHEBI:8382 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL635 ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID4021185 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.000.147
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C21H26O5
Molar mass	358.434 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES O=C(CO)[C@@]3(O)CC[C@H]2[C@@H]4CC\C1=C\C(=O)\C=C/[C@]1(C)[C@H]4C(=O)C[C@@]23C;
	InChI InChI=1S/C21H26O5/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/h5,7,9,14-15,18,22,26H,3-4,6,8,10-11H2,1-2H3/t14-,15-,18+,19-,20-,21-/m0/s1 ; Key:XOFYZVNMUHMLCC-ZPOLXVRWSA-N ;
	(what is this?) (verify)

Prednisone is a glucocorticoid medication mostly used to suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in conditions such as asthma, COPD, and rheumatologic diseases.^[3] It is also used to treat high blood calcium due to cancer and adrenal insufficiency along with other steroids.^[3] It is taken by mouth.^[3]

Common side effects may include cataracts, bone loss, easy bruising, muscle weakness, and thrush.^[3] Other side effects include weight gain, swelling, high blood sugar, increased risk of infection, and psychosis.^[3]^[4] It is generally considered safe in pregnancy and low doses appear to be safe while the user is breastfeeding.^[5] After prolonged use, prednisone must be stopped gradually.^[3]

Prednisone is a prodrug and must be converted to prednisolone by the liver before it becomes active.^[6]^[7] Prednisolone then binds to glucocorticoid receptors, activating them and triggering changes in gene expression.^[4]

Prednisone was patented in 1954 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1955.^[3]^[8] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.^[9] It is available as a generic medication.^[3] In 2022, it was the 30th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 18 million prescriptions.^[10]^[11]

^ "Product monograph brand safety updates". Health Canada. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
^ Pickup ME (1979). "Clinical pharmacokinetics of prednisone and prednisolone". Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 4 (2): 111–128. doi:10.2165/00003088-197904020-00004. PMID 378499. S2CID 12218704.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Prednisone Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. AHFS. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
^ ^a ^b Brunton L (2017). Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics (13 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 739, 746, 1237. ISBN 978-1-25-958473-2.
^ "Prednisone Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
^ "Product Information Panafcort (prednisone) Panafcortelone (prednisolone)" (PDF). TGA eBusiness Services. St Leonards, Australia: Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd. 11 July 2017. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
^ Buttgereit F, Gibofsky A (June 2013). "Delayed-release prednisone - a new approach to an old therapy". Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 14 (8): 1097–1106. doi:10.1517/14656566.2013.782001. PMID 23594208. S2CID 22720230.
^ Fischer J, Ganellin CR (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 485. ISBN 9783527607495.
^ 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.
^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
^ "Prednisone Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.

[1] "Product monograph brand safety updates". Health Canada. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2024.

[pmid378499-2] Pickup ME (1979). "Clinical pharmacokinetics of prednisone and prednisolone". Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 4 (2): 111–128. doi:10.2165/00003088-197904020-00004. PMID 378499. S2CID 12218704.

[AHFS2018-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Prednisone Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. AHFS. Retrieved 24 December 2018.

[GG2017-4] Brunton L (2017). Goodman & Gilman's the pharmacological basis of therapeutics (13 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 739, 746, 1237. ISBN 978-1-25-958473-2.

[5] "Prednisone Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Retrieved 24 December 2018.

[PI2018-6] "Product Information Panafcort (prednisone) Panafcortelone (prednisolone)" (PDF). TGA eBusiness Services. St Leonards, Australia: Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd. 11 July 2017. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 30 June 2018.

[7] Buttgereit F, Gibofsky A (June 2013). "Delayed-release prednisone - a new approach to an old therapy". Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 14 (8): 1097–1106. doi:10.1517/14656566.2013.782001. PMID 23594208. S2CID 22720230.

[Fis2006-8] Fischer J, Ganellin CR (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 485. ISBN 9783527607495.

[WHO23rd-9] 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.

[10] "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.

[11] "Prednisone Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.

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