Inhaled corticosteroids are known to cost significantly more than β2-agonists when used to treat asthma, and this has been one of the reasons, among others, that they have not been used as widely as they could be. However, a large international study has demonstrated that the higher cost of budesonide, one of the older inhaled corticosteroids on the market today, can be substantially offset by fewer hospital admissions and emergency-department (ED) visits, with patients experiencing more symptom-free days and less time lost from school or work. In some countries, where the standard of living and the national average income are relatively high, using budesonide can actually represent a net saving to the national economy, since time lost from school or work can have a substantial effect on a country's gross national product. In two presentations at the 12th Annual Meeting of the European Respiratory Society, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in September, physicians from Belgium, Sweden, the UK and the US discussed the Inhaled Steroid as Regular Treatment (START) study.