Inhaled corticosteroids are better than Cromolyn, according to a new review of recent studies focused on comparing inhaled corticosteroids and cromolyn, the two asthma treatment options.

It was suggested by the review that adults and children suffering with asthma can breathe deeper and enjoy an improved asthma control with inhaled steroids and not cromolyn. Moreover, it was also concluded that patients on steroids have a better lung function system and make less use of “rescue” inhalers than patients on cromolyn, according to James Guevara, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues.

From News-Medical.Net:

Cromolyn, or sodium cromoglycate, and inhaled corticosteroids both block the action of certain inflammatory cells in the lungs. Physicians recommend both types of medication for persistent asthma, but individual studies disagree about which type of medication works best, the reviewers found.

“The safety of sodium cromoglycate has been well established, but the effectiveness of sodium cromoglycate in controlling asthma symptoms may be limited,” Guevara said, adding that the lack of effective control might be one reason cromolyn has fallen out of favor compared to inhaled corticosteroids since the 1990s.

Cromolyn’s manufacturer has changed several times during the past two decades, which may also explain why the drug’s popularity has waned, Storms said. The succession of companies “did not spend one dollar in research in the past 20 years to study cromolyn. All of the data are old and most are forgotten,” he said.

It was remarked by Guevara and colleagues that inhaled corticosteroids are better than cromolyn, irrespective of the asthma severity and concluded the review by saying that the obtained results are so decisive that future studies to be focused on such a comparison again are not warranted.