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Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris)

Corticosteroidprescriptionoral · inferred

Oral glucocorticoid for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) with EXTREMELY low systemic bioavailability (~10%) due to extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism (~90% extracted by CYP3A4). Enteric-coated formulations release in ileum/colon at pH >5.5. Rapid absorption post-release; ~60-80% absorbed in terminal ileum/colon. Biologic half-life ~8-12 hours. Minimal systemic exposure = fewer side effects vs prednisone while maintaining local GI anti-inflammatory effect.

Projected serum levels — 9 mg, twice daily

Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris)
Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) modeled serum levels, 9 mg twice daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 7 days. 0 0.25 0.50 0.75 1 Day 0 Day 4 Day 7 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 7

Maintenance schedule: 9 mg twice daily (oral).

Modeled steady state after ~7 days: peak ≈ 0 mg, trough ≈ 0 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 9 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Corticosteroid
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Common dose
9 mg
Suggested maximum
9 mg/day
Reference dose range
4.5–9 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
twice daily

Documented interactions

  • contraindicated
    Carbamazepine (Tegretol) + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP induction

    Carbamazepine (Tegretol) inducer of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~0.20x

  • contraindicated
    Clarithromycin (Biaxin) + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP inhibition

    Clarithromycin (Biaxin) mechanism_based of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~10.00x

  • contraindicated
    Dasatinib (Sprycel) + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP inhibition

    Dasatinib (Sprycel) time_dependent_inhibitor of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~5.00x

  • contraindicated
    Diltiazem + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP inhibition

    Diltiazem mechanism_based of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~10.00x

  • contraindicated
    Efavirenz (Sustiva) + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP induction

    Efavirenz (Sustiva) inducer of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~0.12x

  • contraindicated
    Grapefruit (whole fruit) + Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) CYP inhibition

    Grapefruit (whole fruit) mechanism_based of CYP3A4 predicted to change Budesonide (Entocort/Uceris) AUC by ~10.00x

Serum checks 90 modeled interaction pairings for budesonide (entocort/uceris) across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Pharmacokinetics of budesonide (Entocort EC) capsules for Crohn's disease Eckburg PB et al. · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2005 DOI

    PK study in Crohn's patients showing enteric-coated capsule release in ileum; bioavailability 10%, Cmax 1.8±1.2 ng/mL, no accumulation with repeated dosing, extensive first-pass metabolism.

  2. Gastrointestinal transit, release and plasma pharmacokinetics of a new oral budesonide formulation Lundin S et al. · Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2004 DOI

    Formulation study showing controlled-release granules dissolve at pH >5.5, targeting ileum/colon for local effect with minimal systemic absorption due to CYP3A4 first-pass metabolism.

  3. Therapeutic benefits of budesonide in gastroenterology O'Donnell S et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, 2010 DOI

    Clinical review of budesonide in IBD showing superior safety profile vs prednisone due to 90% first-pass extraction; effective induction therapy with fewer systemic corticosteroid side effects.

3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.