Position-Directed Budesonide Nasal Drops for CRS-associated Olfactory Dysfunction

September 15, 2026 updated by: Dawei Wu, Peking University Third Hospital

Position-Directed Budesonide Nasal Drops for Olfactory Dysfunction in Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This single-center randomized controlled trial evaluates whether budesonide nasal drops delivered in the Wu's position (Wu's 45° Head-Hanging Reclination Position) improve olfactory function more effectively than conventional budesonide nasal spray in adults with type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)-related olfactory dysfunction.

The study also evaluates patient-reported symptoms and quality of life, olfactory cleft structural abnormalities on sinus CT, computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-derived airflow parameters, safety, and whether baseline peripheral blood eosinophil count and clinical phenotype predict treatment response.

The main questions this clinical trial aims to answer are:

  1. Efficacy Comparison: Is olfactory improvement greater with olfactory cleft-targeted steroid nasal drops compared to standard nasal steroid sprays in CRS patients?
  2. Mechanism Exploration: How do changes in inflammatory markers, obstruction severity, and olfactory test results explain the potential benefits of this treatment approach?
  3. Disease Classification: Can post-treatment olfactory dysfunction be categorized as fully reversible, partially reversible, or non-responsive/irreversible using Week-12 TDI recovery?

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)-related olfactory dysfunction may result from both obstruction of the olfactory cleft and persistent local inflammation. Conventional intranasal corticosteroid sprays may have limited and variable drug deposition in the olfactory cleft. This randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate whether targeted delivery of budesonide nasal drops using the Wu's position (Wu's 45° Head-Hanging Reclination Position) provides greater olfactory improvement than conventional budesonide nasal spray in patients with eosinophilic/type 2 CRS-related olfactory dysfunction.

A total of 78 adults aged 18-65 years will be randomized 1:1 to receive either budesonide nasal drops administered in the Wu's position or conventional budesonide nasal spray for 12 weeks. Participants in the nasal-drop group will receive budesonide suspension, 20 drops per nostril twice daily, and will maintain the Wu's position for approximately 5 minutes after administration. Participants in the control group will receive conventional budesonide nasal spray, 2 actuations per nostril once daily in the upright sitting position.

Olfactory function will be assessed using Sniffin' Sticks, including odor threshold, discrimination, identification, and the composite TDI score. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants achieving a clinically meaningful TDI improvement of ≥5.5 points at Week 12. Additional assessments will include the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (QOD-NS), Olfactory-Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), and 4-item Concise Aging adults Smell Test (4-CAST). Sinus CT will be used to evaluate olfactory cleft structural abnormalities, while computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis will characterize olfactory cleft airflow.

At Week 12, olfactory recovery will also be classified as fully reversible, partially reversible, or non-responsive/irreversible according to the magnitude and completeness of TDI improvement. Baseline olfactory cleft CT findings, CFD-derived airflow parameters, peripheral blood eosinophil count, nasal polyp status, olfactory severity, and other clinical assessment scores will be explored as potential predictors of treatment response.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

78

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • China
    • Beijing Municipality
      • Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China, 100191

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Men and women aged 18-65 years old.
  2. Diagnosis of CRS according to the EPOS 2020, with olfactory dysfunction lasting ≥ 12 weeks.
  3. Evidence of eosinophilic/type 2 inflammatory CRS, defined by at least one of the following: JESREC score ≥11, peripheral blood eosinophils ≥5%, absolute blood eosinophil count ≥ 0.25 × 10⁹/L.
  4. Confirmation of OD via Sniffin' Sticks test: TDI score <30.75 (hyposmia: 16 < TDI < 30.75; anosmia: TDI ≤ 16).
  5. Sinus CT scan confirming olfactory cleft abnormalities (e.g., mucosal thickening, polypoid changes, obstruction).
  6. Willingness to participate in this study and sign the informed consent form (ICF).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients who have used systemic corticosteroids within the past 4 weeks or who have used intranasal corticosteroids within the past 2 weeks, or biologic therapy targeting type 2 inflammation within 6 months before enrolment.
  2. Patients with severe deviation of the nasal septum, nasal tumors, acute upper respiratory tract infection or uncontrolled allergic rhinitis.
  3. Patients with severe cardiovascular diseases, liver or kidney dysfunction, uncontrolled diabetes, or immune system disorders or other systemic disease that may interfere with study participation or safety.
  4. Patients with current pregnancy or plan to become pregnant during the study period.
  5. Patients with known hypersensitivity or contraindication to budesonide or any study medication component.
  6. Patients who are unable to complete the study or are unable to comply with the requirements of the study (including inability to tolerate olfactory function testing and treatment, memory or behavioral abnormalities, depression, smoking, heavy alcohol use or prior non-compliance, specifically early withdrawal from a study).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Nasal Drops Group
Device: Nasal Drops
Participants will receive budesonide suspension (2 mL:1 mg) as nasal drops, 20 drops per nostril twice daily (morning and evening) for 12 weeks. The drops will be administered in the Wu's position (Wu's 45° Head-Hanging Reclination Position), with the head suspended and tilted backward approximately 45° and the nostrils facing upward. The position will be maintained for approximately 5 minutes after instillation.
Active Comparator: Standard Nasal Spray Group
Device: Nasal Spray
Participants will administer conventional budesonide nasal spray in the standard upright sitting position according to routine clinical practice, 2 actuations per nostril once daily. Participants will be instructed to sniff gently after each spray. Treatment will continue for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Participants with Clinically Meaningful Improvement in the Sniffin' Sticks test
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Proportion of participants achieving a clinically meaningful improvement in Sniffin' Sticks TDI score at Week 12. A responder is defined as a participant with an increase in the composite TDI score of ≥5.5 points from baseline. The TDI score is calculated as the sum of odor Threshold (T), Discrimination (D), and Identification (I) scores.
Baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Inflammatory Marker Levels in Olfactory Mucosa
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Analysis of inflammatory cytokines via ELISA and single-cell sequencing from olfactory mucosal brush samples, with concurrent serum inflammatory marker testing.
Baseline and 4 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Adverse Event
Time Frame: 1 week, and 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Documentation of local (nasal irritation, epistaxis) and systemic steroid-related adverse events using standardized case report forms during all follow-up visits.
1 week, and 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Subjective Olfactory Improvement and Nasal Symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Patient-reported olfactory improvement measured using the Olfactory-Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) , 4-item Concise Aging adults Smell Test (4-CAST), nasal symptoms assessed via the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire, olfactory-related quality of life assessed via the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (QOD-NS), and Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE). These measures evaluate treatment effects on self-perceived smell recovery and associated nasal complaints.
Baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
CT Evaluation of Olfactory Cleft Blockage
Time Frame: Baseline , 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Structural assessment of the olfactory cleft, including mucosal thickening, polypoid change/obstruction, and the protocol-defined olfactory cleft CT score, with a maximum total score of 24.
Baseline , 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
CFD Outcome
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
CFD-derived olfactory cleft airflow parameters Measure Description: Patient-specific computational fluid dynamics models will be reconstructed from sinus CT images to quantify olfactory cleft airflow velocity (m/s), volumetric flow rate (L/min), and olfactory cleft airflow ratio. These measures will be used as exploratory mechanistic and predictive variables.
Baseline, 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Post-treatment Olfactory Reversibility Classification
Time Frame: 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.

At Week 12, participants will be categorized as:

Fully reversible: final TDI score ≥30.75; Partially reversible: TDI score increases by ≥5.5 points from baseline but remains <30.75; Non-responsive/irreversible: TDI score increases by <5.5 points from baseline.
12 weeks after the initiation of treatment.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Peking University Third Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 15, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 9059107

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

We will decide whether to share the individual participant data after the study.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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