Esophageal inflammation disorders such as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a disease characterized by high levels of eosinophils in the esophagus, as well as basal zonal hyperplasia, is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adults. Many aspects of the disease remain unclear including its etiology, natural history, and optimal therapy. EoE affects all age groups but most frequently individuals between 20 and 50 years of age. Symptoms of EoE often mimic those of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and include vomiting, dysphagia, pain and food impaction. The disease is painful, leads to difficulty swallowing, and predisposes patients to other complications. EoE is often misdiagnosed for GERD, causing delay in adequate treatment for EoE patients.
Currently, no topically administered anti-inflammatory medications are approved for the treatment of conditions associated with inflammation of the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the inflammatory conditions of the esophagus, such as EoE. Although systemic treatments with corticosteroids such as prednisolone are effective, these therapeutics are associated with significant adverse effects such as suppression of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as reflected in salivary Cortisol levels, generalized suppression of immune function, and particularly in children, troubling side-effects from long term systemic exposure include growth retardation.