Conclusions Examining individual studies it appears that DFZ improves strength and functional outcomes compared to placebo , but it remains unclear if it has a benefit over prednisone on similar outcomes .
Two trials found that DFZ causes less weight gain than prednisone
Background To complete a systematic review and meta- analysis based on the clinical question : Is Deflazacort ( DFZ ) , a prednisolone derivative , an effective therapy for improving strength , with acceptable side effects , in children with Duchenne Dystrophy ( DD ) ?
Deflazacort vs. prednisone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: trends of an ongoing study
Several studies have demonstrated the slowing effect of corticosteroids on the decline of muscle strength in Duchenne muscular dystrophy ( DMD ) .  Deflazacort ( DFC ) is supposed to have fewer side effects than prednisone ( PRED ) . An ongoing double blind multicenter study is comparing the effects and side effects of deflazacort ( 0.9 mg/kg/day ) and prednisone ( 0.75 mg/kg/day ) in DMD . This interim report includes data for 67 boys between age 5 years and loss of ambulation . Besides the common clinical and laboratory data for chronic corticoid treatment , motor performance has been tested . Interim results , 3 - 15 months after starting the medication , show some scattering but no grouping of data for all the functions tested : timed motor functions , sum of the strength of 20 muscles according to a 10-point scale on manual testing , weight gain , osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase . Only the changes in CK activity after 3 months medication might reflect two equal groups without any correlation with the initial activity or with other parameters . On average , there was no clear-cut loss of muscle strength or performance . Except for in 4 patients , who were excluded due to unacceptable weight gain and /or loss of ambulation  , there were no side effects considered to be serious . The results suggest that ( i ) DFC and PRED in equal anti-inflammatory dosage are similarly or equally efficient in slowing down the decline of muscle strength in DMD ; ( ii ) benefits outweigh the side effects . This allows the study to continue as design ed
Conclusions Examining individual studies it appears that DFZ improves strength and functional outcomes compared to placebo , but it remains unclear if it has a benefit over prednisone on similar outcomes .
Two trials found that DFZ causes less weight gain than prednisone
Background To complete a systematic review and meta- analysis based on the clinical question : Is Deflazacort ( DFZ ) , a prednisolone derivative , an effective therapy for improving strength , with acceptable side effects , in children with Duchenne Dystrophy ( DD ) ?