Primary objective: To demonstrate the efficacy of ciclesonide, compared to placebo, at 80 μg twice daily (BID) or 40 μg BID for 12 weeks in patients with persistent asthma.

Secondary objective: To assess the safety and tolerability of ciclesonide.

Inclusion Criteria:

• History of persistent bronchial asthma for at least 3 months prior to screening;
• For patients with persistent bronchial asthma and being treated with a controller therapy: Documented use of an inhaled steroid or Singulair® 5mg once daily;
• For patients with persistent bronchial asthma and not being treated with controller therapy: Patients may have documented use of a reliever therapy such as albuterol/salbutamol or may be untreated;
• Morning Peak Expiratory Flow (AM PEF) of ≤90% of predicted values from the in-clinic spirometry after a 6 hour withhold of albuterol/salbutamol;
• Only patients aged between 6 to <12 years must have a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of ≥50% to ≤85% of predicted normal after a 6 hour withhold of albuterol/salbutamol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Nocturnal awakenings for asthma which require treatment with albuterol/salbutamol for 4 or more nights out of the last 7 days of the screening period;
• Use of more than 8 puffs/day of albuterol/salbutamol on 3 or more consecutive days within the last 7
• Upper or lower respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks prior to screening and during screening period;
• History of life-threatening asthma, including a history of significant hypercarbia (pCO2 >45 mmHg), prior intubation, respiratory arrest, or seizures as a result of an exacerbation of asthma;
• More than 3 in-patient hospitalization or emergency care visits due to asthma exacerbations in the year prior to screening;
• Use of injectable or oral corticosteroids within one month prior to screening, or more than 3 bursts) within 6 months prior to screening;

The numbers of subjects at risk are based on the Safety Population. It was based on all randomized patients receiving at least one dose of the double-blind study medication after randomization.