Fluticasone proprionate is a glucocorticoid often prescribed as treatment for asthma and allergic rhinitis. It is marketed with the brand name Flixotide® by Allen & Hanburys and Flovent® by GlaxoSmithKline. CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences and alloys. ... The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System is used for the classification of drugs. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... The molecular mass of a substance (less accurately called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW) is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... In pharmacology, bioavailability is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of medication that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. ... The elimination half-life of a drug (or any xenobiotic agent) refers to the timecourse necessary for the quantity of the xenobiotic agent in the body (or plasma concentration) to be reduced to half of its original level through various elimination processes. ... --212. ... The pregnancy category of a pharmaceutical agent is an assessment of the risk of fetal injury due to the pharmaceutical, if it is used as directed by the mother. ... The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. ... Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones characterised by an ability to bind with the cortisol receptor and trigger similar effects. ... For the play, see Hay Fever. ... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plc is a pharmaceutical, biologicals and healthcare company. ...

The precise mechanisms of glucocorticoid action in asthma are unknown. Inflammation is recognized as an important component in the pathogenesis of asthma. Glucocorticoids have been shown to inhibit multiple cell types (e.g., mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils) and mediator production or secretion (e.g., histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, and cytokines) involved in the asthmatic response. These anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids may contribute to their efficacy in asthma. Typically, however, the action on the cells affected requires several days. Therefore, inhaled steroids are not used for immediate relief of asthma, but instead as preventive and maintenance therapy.

Clinical trials

This listing is NOT complete and should NOT be construed as support for treatment decisions. See also PubMed clinical manuscripts referring to fluticasone

• Burge, P.S.; Calverley, P.M.; Jones, P.W.; Spencer, S.; Anderson, J.A.; and Maslen T.K. (2000). Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study of fluticasone propionate in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the ISOLDE trial. British Medical Journal 320 (7245), 1297-1303. PMID 10807619.
• Paggiaro, P.L.; Dahle, R.; Bakran, I.; Frith, L.; Hollingworth, K.; and Efthimiou, J. (1998). Multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial of inhaled fluticasone propionate in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Lancet 351 (9105), 773-780. PMID 9519948.

both support a positive outcome for use of fluticasone in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also referred to as COPD