Effects Of Ciclesonide And Beclomethasone On Lens Opacification In Adult Subjects With Moderate To Severe Persistent Asthma

Inclusion Criteria: * Males or non-pregnant, non-lactating females 18 years of age and older with a history of moderate to severe persistent asthma for a duration of at least 2 months prior to screening. * At screening, FEV1 must be ≥ 40% and ≤ 85% of predicted. * Documented use of inhaled corticosteroid therapy at any dose for at least 1 month prior to screening. * Able to demonstrate acceptable oral inhaler technique. * Non-smoker for at least the past year and less than a 10 pack-year smoking history if previous smoker. * Written informed consent agreement. Exclusion Criteria: * History of prior cataract surgery in either eye. * Evidence of congenital cortical cataract. * Inability to grade nuclear, cortical, or posterior subcapsular opacities in either eye with LOCS III at the baseline slit lamp examination. * Inability to dilate pupils to at least 6.0 mm. * Nuclear opalescence with a LOCS III grade ≥ 4 in either eye at the baseline slit lamp examination. * Cortical lens opacities with a LOCS III grade ≥ 3 in either eye at the baseline slit lamp examination. * Posterior subcapsular lens opacities with a LOCS III grade ≥ 2 in either eye at the baseline slit lamp examination. * Elevated intraocular pressure requiring treatment * Best corrected visual acuity less than 74 letters (equivalent to vision worse than 20/30) in either eye at baseline. * Females who are pregnant or lactating or have a positive pregnancy test at Visit 1 (Screening). * Have had more than 1 in-patient hospitalization in the past year for asthma exacerbations. * Have had more than 2 bursts of oral steroids per year for each of the past 2 years prior to screening. * Chronic use of oral, injectable, or topical steroids except for inhaled corticosteroids for any condition. Topical corticosteroids designated as having a mild potency by the Stoughton-Cornell Scale or the European Guideline for levels of corticosteroid activity are allowed (see AppendixG). * Any chronic condition that is likely to require treatment with oral or systemic corticosteroids other than asthma (e.g. systemic lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis). * Topical ocular steroid treatment within 3 months prior to screening. * Chronic or recurrent inflammatory disease in either eye likely to result in visual abnormalities or require treatment with ocular steroids. * History of drug or alcohol abuse. * Any clinically significant medical condition that would interfere with the subject's ability to participate in and comply with study protocol. * Subject unlikely to comply with protocol, e.g., uncooperative attitude, inability to return for follow-up visits, and unlikelihood of completing the study. * Subject is the investigator or any sub-investigator, research assistant, pharmacist, study coordinator, other staff or relative thereof directly involved in the conduct of the protocol. * Hypersensitivity to the investigational products or to drugs with similar chemical structures. * Have been treated with any investigational drug/product within 30 days prior to Visit 1 (Screening).