Fluocinolone acetonide is a fluorinated

corticosteroid Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are invo ...

primarily used in

dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the Human skin, skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, ...

to reduce skin inflammation and relieve itching. It is a synthetic

hydrocortisone Hydrocortisone is the name for the hormone cortisol when supplied as a medication. It is a corticosteroid and works as an anti-inflammatory and by immune suppression. Uses include conditions such as adrenocortical insufficiency, adrenogenit ...

derivative. The fluorine substitution at position 9 in the steroid nucleus greatly enhances its activity. It was first synthesized in 1959 in the Research Department of Syntex Laboratories S.A. Mexico City. Preparations containing it were first marketed under the brand name Synalar. Fluocinolone acetonide was also found to strongly potentiate TGF-β-associated chondrogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells, by increasing the levels of collagen type II by more than 100 fold compared to the widely used dexamethasone. Fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implants have been used to treat non-infectious

uveitis Uveitis () is inflammation of the uvea, the pigmented layer of the eye between the inner retina and the outer fibrous layer composed of the sclera and cornea. The uvea consists of the middle layer of pigmented vascular structures of the eye and ...

. A systematic review could not determine with any confidence whether fluocinolone acetonide implants are superior to standard of care treatment for uveitis. A fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant with the brand name Iluvien is sold by biopharmaceutical company Alimera Sciences to treat diabetic macular edema. It was approved for medical use in 1961.

Classification

Fluocinolone is a group V (0.025%) or group VI (0.01%) corticosteroid under US classification.

Brand names

Fluocinolone acetonide is available under the brand names Flucort-N, Iluvien, Synalar, Yutiq, and others.

References

{{Authority control Acetonides Corticosteroid cyclic ketals Corticosteroids Diketones Diols Organofluorides Glucocorticoids Otologicals Substances discovered in the 1950s