Dexamethasone, or MK-125, is a corticosteroid fluorinated at position 9 used to treat endocrine, rheumatic, collagen, dermatologic, allergic, ophthalmic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hematologic, neoplastic, edematous, and other conditions. Developed in 1957, it is structurally similar to other corticosteroids like hydrocortisone and prednisolone.
Dexamethasone was granted FDA approval on 30 October 1958. In a press release for the Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial on 16 June 2020, dexamethasone was recommended for use in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory symptoms. Dexamethasone reduced deaths by approximately one third in patients requiring ventilation and by one fifth in those requiring oxygen.
Dexamethasone and ciprofloxacin otic suspension is indicated for bacterial infections with inflammation in acute otitis media and acute otitis externa. Intramuscular and intravenous injections are indicated for a number of endocrine, rheumatic, collagen, dermatologic, allergic, ophthalmic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hematologic, neoplastic, edematous, and other conditions. Oral tablets are indicated for the treatment of multiple myeloma. An intravitreal implant is indicated for some forms of macular edema and non-infectious posterior uveitis affecting the posterior of the eye. Various ophthalmic formulations are indicated for inflammatory conditions of the eye.
Mount SinaiHospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Providence Centre, Mental Health Services, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
Tower Cancer Research Foundation, Beverly Hills, California, United States
Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States
University of Cologne, Cologne, NRW, Germany
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
Israel Society of Hematology, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
Schweirische Arbeitsgruppe fur klinische Krebsforschung, Lausanne, Switzerland
Hospital district of south west Finland, Turku, Finland
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Manitoba Blood & Marrow Transplant Program CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
University of Michigan Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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