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Prednisone

Synthetic glucocorticoid with systemic anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects.

2 min read 5 sources

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Compound approved · since 1955

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

To stability in pneumonia

3.0 days

Median in 785 hospital patients, placebo 4.4 days¹

Blood sugar needing insulin

19 %

In hospital during 7 days of prednisone, placebo 11 percent¹

Dropped out for lack of effect in RA

23 %

3 of 13 on a low maintenance level, on placebo 11 of 15²

Prednisone is a synthetic glucocorticoid. It activates the glucocorticoid receptor and dampens inflammation and immune response. In the body an enzyme converts it to the active form prednisolone.⁵
In hospital pneumonia patients on one week of prednisone were stable after a median of 3.0 instead of 4.4 days. Complications were not clearly less frequent.¹
In return 19 instead of 11 percent had high blood sugar in hospital that needed insulin.¹
In rheumatoid arthritis fewer patients on a very low maintenance level dropped out for lack of effect than on placebo.²
Everything here is the state of research, not a recommendation.⁵

Profile

Updated June 2026

Class

Glucocorticoid

corticosteroid

Use

Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy

Half-life

Approximately 2.5-3.5 hours

biological: 18-36 hours

Status

Prescription required

Sizes

10 mg

1 size in the shop

Contents 12 sections

At a glance
What is Prednisone?
How it works
Administration and dosing
What the research shows
Research status
Side effects
Storage
Related compounds
FAQ
Glossary
Sources

What is Prednisone?

Prednisone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppresses immune system function. It is used to treat inflammation, autoimmune diseases, allergic reactions and certain infectious complications. Prednisone is metabolized in the liver to prednisolone, its active form.

Research examines prednisone efficacy across various diseases. This information is for research and educational purposes only. No medical advice.

Comparison

Not every steroid is the same

Steroid hormones in the TPD lexicon and the receptor they act on. Tap a card to open its entry.

Glucocorticoid Prednisone GR

Androgen Testosterone Enanthate AR Anabolic steroid Anavar (Oxandrolone) AR

Simplified: prednisone and anabolic steroids both have a steroid skeleton but bind different receptors and therefore act very differently. ⁵

How it works

Prednisone acts as a glucocorticoid receptor agonist with the following mechanisms:

Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6)
Suppression of Th1 cell differentiation
Increased apoptosis of lymphocytes
Stabilization of lysosomal membranes
Reduction of capillary permeability
Inhibition of phospholipase A2

Where it acts

Where prednisone acted in studies

Tap a point or a card. Colour = glucocorticoid receptor, grey = observed.

Lung

Faster stability in pneumonia, median 3.0 instead of 4.4 days¹

GR
Joints

Fewer drop-outs for lack of effect than on placebo in rheumatoid arthritis²

GR
Blood sugar

High blood sugar needing insulin in 19 instead of 11 percent¹

Observed in trials

Targets in the ChEMBL database⁵

Compound CHEMBL635: one recorded mechanism, Agonist (via prednisolone).

Glucocorticoid receptor

Gene: NR3C1
UniProt: P04150
ChEMBL: CHEMBL2034
Action: Agonist (via prednisolone)

Blue steroid molecules travelling through a glass cell to its nucleus, surrounded by small orange points of light — Prednisolone binds the glucocorticoid receptor in the cell, which then controls genes in the nucleus. Symbolic image.

Administration and dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
How long one vial lasts

White tablet bottle with a black TPD label for Prednisone, four white tablets in front, breakfast with berries, avocado toast and a glass of water in the background — Prednisone as a tablet. Symbolic image.

What the research shows

Clinical trials indicate that prednisone:

Reduces time to clinical stability in pneumonia (3.0 vs 4.4 days in controlled trials)
Shows both symptomatic improvement and slowing of radiographic progression in long-term rheumatoid arthritis therapy at doses of 10 mg/day or less
Effectively suppresses inflammation and cytokine production
Is the subject of a randomized trial in early COVID-19 pneumonia (PREDCOVID), of which only the study protocol has been published so far, no results
Enables synergistic effects when combined with other therapies

Study results

What the trials measured

Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.

Time to clinical stability¹

785 patients in 7 Swiss hospitals, median in days

Until stable¹

Placebo 4.4 d

Prednisone, one week (highest study dose, 50 mg per day) 3.0 d

Stable means vital signs within normal range for at least 24 hours. Pneumonia complications to day 30: 3 percent on prednisone, 6 percent on placebo, the difference was not certain.

Dropped out for lack of effect²

28 evaluable patients with rheumatoid arthritis over 24 weeks, share in percent

Dropped out²

Placebo 73.3%

Prednisone, low maintenance level 23.1%

Calculated from the counts in the abstract (11 of 15 against 3 of 13). Those who kept getting prednisone stayed in the trial more often. No meaningful side effects were reported. Very small trial.

Bent glass tube like a piece of airway on a bright lab shelf between stacked Petri dishes — Trials on pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19. Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

Selection from over 2,500 entries on ClinicalTrials.gov, most of them cancer combinations in which prednisone is only one part. Shown are trials that test prednisone itself. As of 26 Oct 2026. ⁴

Preclinical Agonist at the glucocorticoid receptor
Phase 1 no registered trial
Phase 2 no registered trial
Phase 3 9 trials, 7 completed, 2 stopped early
Approval since 1955

1,591 participants in phase 3 Approved: ChEMBL lists prednisone with phase 4 and first approval in 1955. The PREDCOVID trial ended after 60 of a planned 184 participants, only the protocol is published.⁵

Show all 11 phase 3 and 4 trials on a timelineHide timeline 8 completed 0 running 3 stopped early 1 with results

Phase 3

Phase 4

Bar: start to primary endpoint (planned for running trials). Green = completed, blue = progress until 26 Oct 2026, grey = stopped early.

Side effects

Common side effects with short-term use:

Sleep disturbances
Nervousness and mood changes
Increased infection susceptibility
Gastrointestinal discomfort

With long-term use:

Weight gain and central adiposity
Bone density loss (osteoporosis)
Hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance
Hypertension
Adrenal suppression

Rapid discontinuation after prolonged use is contraindicated and requires gradual tapering.

Tolerability

High blood sugar in hospital

Out of 100 patients, in how many blood sugar rose so much that they needed insulin.

11 of 100 Placebo

19 of 100 Prednisone, one week (highest study dose, 50 mg per day)

Event	Placebo	Prednisone, one week (highest study dose, 50 mg per day)
Blood sugar needing insulin¹	11%	19%

Other side effects typical of corticosteroids were rare during this week and similar in both groups. Over longer periods the entry names further effects such as bone loss and high blood pressure.¹²

Storage

Prednisone tablets should be stored in a dry, cool place, protected from light. Storage temperature should be between 15-25 degrees Celsius. Original containers protect against moisture and should remain tightly sealed. Do not refrigerate. Do not use after expiration date.

Three white tablet bottles and a folded light blue towel on a white shelf — Dry, between 15 and 25 degrees and protected from light, not in the fridge. Symbolic image.

Related compounds

A different path: all in the TPD lexicon.

Prednisone

Pantoprazole (Protonix) Acid suppressant, described in the lexicon as stomach protection with stomach-straining drugs

Anavar (Oxandrolone) Was also approved in the USA to offset protein breakdown during long corticosteroid use

Testosterone Enanthate Another steroid hormone, another receptor

FAQ

Common questions about Prednisone

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

What is prednisone?

Prednisone is a synthetic glucocorticoid, colloquially cortisone. It activates the glucocorticoid receptor, for which an enzyme (11-beta-HSD) converts it to prednisolone. ChEMBL lists it as approved since 1955.⁵

What did the pneumonia trial show?

785 hospital patients with pneumonia received prednisone or placebo for one week. On prednisone they were stable after a median of 3.0 instead of 4.4 days. Complications to day 30 were 3 against 6 percent, which was not certain. High blood sugar needing insulin occurred in 19 instead of 11 percent.¹

Does a very low level work too?

A small withdrawal trial in rheumatoid arthritis supports it. 31 patients on a stable low maintenance level kept getting prednisone or were switched to placebo step by step. 3 of 13 on prednisone and 11 of 15 on placebo dropped out for lack of effect. No meaningful side effects were reported.²

What about PREDCOVID?

PREDCOVID was meant to test whether early prednisone slows non-critical COVID-19 pneumonia. Only the protocol is published. According to the registry the trial was stopped early after 60 of a planned 184 participants, there are no results there.³⁴

Which side effects did the trials show?

During the week in pneumonia mainly high blood sugar. Other side effects typical of corticosteroids were rare and similar in both groups. In the rheumatoid arthritis trial with a very low level there were none worth mentioning. These trials did not study the effects of long use.¹²

Which trials are running?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists over 2,500 entries with prednisone, most of them in cancer combinations. Trials of prednisone itself cover rheumatism, muscular dystrophy, pneumonia and preterm birth among others.⁴

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

Adrenal suppression: With long use the adrenal gland makes less of its own cortisol. That is why it is tapered instead of stopped abruptly.
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death. Glucocorticoids trigger it in certain immune cells.
Cytokines: Messengers of the immune system such as TNF-alpha or IL-6 that drive inflammation.
Glucocorticoid: Steroid hormone like the body's own cortisol. It dampens inflammation and immune response and raises blood sugar.
Hyperglycaemia: Too high blood sugar.
Osteoporosis: Bone loss: bones become thinner and break more easily.
Phospholipase A2: Enzyme that releases the starting materials for inflammatory messengers.
Placebo: Dummy preparation without active substance. Comparing against it shows what is due to the substance itself.
Prednisolone: The active form the body converts prednisone into.
Th1 cells: Group of immune cells that steer inflammatory responses.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 5 sourcesHide sources 1 Trial registry4 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Trial registry

Prednisone trials on ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

Trial: one week of prednisone in hospital pneumonia (abstract at The Lancet)
Blum et al., The Lancet, 2015, DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62447-8

PMID 25608756 NCT00973154

Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
Trial: low maintenance level in rheumatoid arthritis (full text at PubMed Central)
Pincus et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2009, DOI 10.1136/ard.2008.095539

PMID 19074913

Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC ID Converter
PREDCOVID study protocol, without results (full text at PubMed Central)
Salinas et al., Trials, 2021, DOI 10.1186/s13063-021-05046-6

PMID 33499887 NCT04451174

Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC ID Converter
Prednisone in ChEMBL (mechanism and approval)
ChEMBL, EMBL-EBI (CHEMBL635)

Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ChEMBL

In the shop

Prednisone in the catalog

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