A randomized controlled trial of inhaled ciclesonide for outpatient treatment of symptomatic COVID-19 infections

Importance Systemic corticosteroids are commonly used in the treatment of severe COVID-19. However, their role in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate disease is less clear. The inhaled corticosteroid ciclesonide has shown early promise as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Objective To determine whether the inhaled steroid ciclesonide is efficacious in patients with high risk for disease progression and can reduce the incidence of long-term COVID-19 symptoms or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. Design This was a phase III, multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of ciclesonide metered-dose inhaler (MDI) for the treatment of non-hospitalized participants with symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Patients were screened from June 11, 2020 to November 3, 2020. Setting The study was conducted at 10 centers throughout the U.S. public and private, academic and non-academic sites were represented among the centers. Participants Participants were randomly assigned to ciclesonide MDI 160 μg per actuation, two actuations twice a day (total daily dose 640 μg) or placebo for 30 days. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary endpoint was time to alleviation of all COVID-19 related symptoms (cough, dyspnea, chills, feeling feverish, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell) by Day 30. Secondary endpoints included subsequent emergency department visits or hospital admissions for reasons attributable to COVID-19. Results 413 participants were screened and 400 (96.9%) were enrolled and randomized (197 in the ciclesonide arm and 203 in the placebo arm). The median time to alleviation of all COVID-19-related symptoms was 19.0 days (95% CI: 14.0, 21.0) in the ciclesonide arm and 19.0 days (95% CI: 16.0, 23.0) in the placebo arm. There was no difference in resolution of all symptoms by Day 30 (odds ratio [OR] 1.28, 95% CI: 0.84, 1.97). Participants treated with ciclesonide had fewer subsequent emergency department visits or hospital admissions for reasons attributable to COVID-19 (OR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.85). No subjects died during the study. Conclusions and Relevance Ciclesonide did not achieve the primary efficacy endpoint of time to alleviation of all COVID-19-related symptoms. Future studies of inhaled steroids are needed to explore their efficacy in patients with high risk for disease progression and in reducing the incidence of long-term COVID-19 symptoms or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2.