Summary
Prednisone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Prednisone to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease): 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 55 participants. Registered activity dates to 2020. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 2002 to 2018. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease ranks 203 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Symptom recurrence in 70-80% within 6 months of PPI discontinuation in erosive GERD; highly variable in non-erosive disease; ~20% of GERD is nonerosive, where acid suppression is less effective.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 29.5 (trials 2.5, literature 7.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (1 Cochrane review, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | APOE |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03363698 | MCT and Capsaicin Provocation Challenge in Diagnosis of Chronic Cough 2020 | completed | Not applicable | 55 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Efficacy of Pharmacologic Therapy for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-AnalysisTomizawa Y, Melek J, Komaki Y et al. · Journal of clinical gastroenterology · 2018 · PMID 28787360
- Clinical trial publication Oral corticosteroids increase esophageal acid contact times in patients with stable asthmaLazenby JP, Guzzo MR, Harding SM et al. · Chest · 2002 · PMID 11834680
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target APOE. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prednisone approved for GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)?
Prednisone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Prednisone in clinical trials for GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Prednisone to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease): 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 55 participants. Registered activity dates to 2020.
What does the evidence show for Prednisone in GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)?
Prednisone has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target APOE. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.