TREATMENT OF GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE AND LEUKEMIA WITH BECLOMETHASONE DIPROPIONATE AND PREDNISONE

摘要

A method for reducing mortality associated with GVHD by treating the patent with an oral BDP regimen that involves co-administration of: 1) a high dose of prednisone (about 1-2 mg/kg/day) for about 10 days, which is then tapered rapidly over the following 7 days to a physiological replacement dose of about 0.0625 mg/kg/day for the remainder of the treatment, and 2) about 4 - 12 mg oral BDP q.i.d. for about 50 days, where the BDP is administered in both immediate release and enteric coated preparations. Another method is for treating leukemia by performing hematopoietic cell transplantation followed by said regimen. A significant reduction in patient mortality is observed 200 days after the start of these treatments