1. Characteristics of the interventions.

Study ID	Ciclesonide dose	Comparator ICS	Application	Inhalation technique	Treatment period
Ciclesonide versus budesonide
von Berg 2007	160 μg OD (ex‐actuator; equivalent to 200 μg ex‐valve) 2 x 80 μg puffs in the evening	Budesonide 400 μg OD 2 x 200 μg puffs	Ciclesonide: HFA‐MDI with an AeroChamber®; Budesonide: Turbohaler®	Not described	12 weeks
Vermeulen 2007	320 μg OD (ex‐actuator; equivalent to 2 puffs of 200 μg ex‐valve) 2 x 160 μg puffs administered in the evening	Budesonide 800 μg OD (4 inhalations of 200 μg from the Turbohaler® device), administered in the evening	Ciclesonide: HFA‐MDI without spacer Budesonide: Turbohaler®	Not described	12 weeks
Ciclesonide versus fluticasone
Hiremath 2006	160 μg OD	Fluticasone 88 μg BID	MDI with spacer, AeroChamber Plus®	Not described	12 weeks
Paunovic 2010	160 μg OD	Fluticasone 88 μg BID	No information provided	Not described	12 weeks
Pedersen 2006	80 μg BID (ex‐actuator; equivalent to 100 μg BID ex‐valve)	Fluticasone 88 μg BID (ex‐actuator dose, equivalent to 100 μg BID ex‐valve)	HFA‐MDI without spacer	Adequate inhalation technique no details described	12 weeks
Pedersen 2009	80 or 160 μg OD (ex‐actuator; equivalent to 100 and 200 μg ex‐valve) administered in the evening	Fluticasone 88 μg BID (176 ex‐actuator; equivalent to 100 μg BID ex‐valve) in the morning and evening	HFA 134‐MDI without spacer	Good inhalation technique, no details described	12 weeks

BID: twice daily; ex‐actuator: drugs that leaves the inhaler; ex‐valve: drugs that leaves the metering chamber valve; HFA‐MDI: hydrofluoroalkane‐propelled metered dose inhaler; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; MDI: metered dose inhaler; OD: once daily.