A 12-month double-blind assessment of betamethasone valerate aerosol in the management of asthma

Summary A double‐blind trial of the topically active corticosteroid, betamethasone valerate in aerosol form, in the control of chronic asthma is reported. The results show that this is an extremely effective therapeutic agent in non‐steroid dependent but nonetheless moderately severe asthmatics. Patients were well controlled on 800 μg of betamethasone valerate daily and control was maintained over a 12‐month period. This form of treatment has few undesirable side effects but there is probably an increased incidence of oropharyngeal and laryngeal candidiasis. In particular, adrenocortical suppression was not noted.