Background: The effects of mometasone furoate and fluticasone propionate on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis were compared when administered from combination metered-dose inhaler (MDI) products.
Methods: In a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled, parallel group study, 66 patients with mild to moderate asthma received one of the following four treatments bid through an MDI for 42 days: mometasone furoate/formoterol (MF/F) 200 μg/10 μg, MF/F 400 μg/10 μg, fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/S) 460 μg/42 μg, or placebo. Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured over 24 h on days -1 (baseline) and 42. Geometric mean ratio (GMR) and 90% CI for mean change from baseline to day 42 in 24-h plasma cortisol area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for each treatment. If the 90% CI for the GMRs fell within 70% to 143%, treatments were deemed comparable.
Results: Mean baseline cortisol AUCs were similar across groups. Mean cortisol effects (change from baseline) were similar for MF/F 400 μg/10 μg and FP/S 460 μg/42 μg (GMR, 119%; 90% CI, 101%-140%). Effects of MF/F 200 μg/10 μg on cortisol AUC were similar to placebo (GMR, 92%; 90% CI, 78%-110%), whereas MF/F 400 μg/10 μg and FP/S 460 μg/42 μg lowered cortisol AUC vs placebo (GMR, 78% [90% CI, 66%-92%] and 66% [90% CI 56%-78%], respectively). All treatments were generally well tolerated.
Conclusions: MF/F 400 μg/10 μg or FP/S 460 μg/42 μg bid through an MDI led to similar reductions from baseline in mean cortisol AUC (22% and 34% lower than placebo, respectively), whereas the effect of MF/F 200 μg/10 μg was similar to placebo.