Clinical Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Beclomethasone Dipropionate Plus Formoterol vs Fluticasone Propionate Plus Salmeterol in the 6 Months Step Down Treatment of Asthma

NCT ID: NCT00497237

Last Updated: 2017-03-30

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE3
• Total Enrollment: 382 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2007-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2010-03-31

Brief Summary

Asthma is a serious global health problem. People of all ages in countries throughout the world are affected by this chronic airway disorder that can be severe and sometimes fatal. The prevalence of asthma is increasing everywhere, especially among children.According to international guidelines, once control of asthma is achieved and maintained for at least 3 months, a gradual reduction of the maintenance therapy should be tried in order to identify the minimum therapy required to maintain control. This will help reduce the risk of side effects and enhance patient adherence to the treatment plan.

Reduction of therapy in patients on combination therapy should begin with a reduction in the dose of inhaled glucocorticosteroid.1 The present study is designed to evaluate if patients with controlled asthma treated with FP 1000 mcg + salmeterol 100 mcg daily can be stepped down. Stepping-down will be attempted with two medications: a new combination of extrafine beclomethasone dipropionate 400 mcg + formoterol 24 mcg daily (test medication, Foster™) and, alternatively, fluticasone propionate 500 mcg + salmeterol 100 mcg daily(reference medication) without losing asthma control.If this hypothesis will be confirmed, the present study will demonstrate that asthma control can be maintained with less than half the dose of inhaled corticosteroid and with less medical costs.

Given the aims of this study, the population to be monitored includes adult patients with moderate persistent asthma, which can be defined controlled according to the current guidelines under standard stabilised treatment. The intended treatment duration is therefore designed to ensure that good control of asthma is firmly achieved before stepping down the treatment (8 weeks run-in period), but also that the condition of the patients are followed long enough (24 weeks comparative treatment period) to ensure that a new stable condition is also obtained and properly monitored.

Conditions

Asthma

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

1

Foster

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Beclomethasone plus formoterol fixed combination

Intervention Type: DRUG

100+6 pMDI

2

Seretide

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Fluticasone plus salmeterol fixed combination

Intervention Type: DRUG

diskus 250/50

Interventions

Beclomethasone plus formoterol fixed combination

100+6 pMDI

Intervention Type: DRUG

Fluticasone plus salmeterol fixed combination

diskus 250/50

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients will be enrolled for screening at Visit 1 into the run-in period if they meet all the following criteria:
• Clinical diagnosis of moderate persistent asthma for at least 6 months, according to GINA revised version 2005 guidelines 1 and considering current treatment;
• Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) ≥ 80% of the predicted normal value;
• Treated with fluticasone 1000 mcg + salmeterol 100 mcg daily for at least 4 weeks at a stable dose;
• Reporting no nocturnal symptoms or awakenings, no exacerbations, no limitations of activities, symptoms in ≤2 days and use of rescue medication ≤2 days per week, in the last 4 weeks;
• Exhibiting a co-operative attitude and ability to be trained to correctly use the study devices and to complete the diary cards.

At the end of run in period (Week 8+0; Visit 3), patients will be recruited into the treatment period and randomized to treatment if they meet the following criterion:

• Asthma is controlled 1 in each of the last 4 weeks of run-in (no nocturnal symptoms or awakenings; no exacerbations; no limitations of activities; symptoms in ≤2 days; use of rescue medication ≤2 days; morning PEF ≥80% of predicted in every day) confirmed by reviewing the diary cards.

Exclusion Criteria

• Inability to carry out pulmonary function testing;
• Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as defined by the NHLBI/WHO's GOLD guidelines;
• Current smokers or recent (less than one year) ex-smokers with a smoking history of ≥10 pack/years;
• History of near fatal asthma;
• Evidence of symptomatic infection of the airways in the previous 8 weeks;
• Three or more courses of oral corticosteroids or hospitalisation due to asthma during the previous 6 months;
• Patients treated with anticholinergics and antihistamines during the previous 2 weeks, with topical or intranasal corticosteroids and leukotriene antagonists during the previous 4 weeks;
• History or current evidence of heart failure, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, severe hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias;
• Diabetes mellitus;
• PTCA or CABG during the previous six months;
• Patients with an abnormal QTc interval value in the ECG test, defined as >450 msec in males or > 470 msec in females;
• Other haemodynamic relevant rhythm disturbances (including atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation with ventricular response, bradycardia (≤55 bpm), evidence of atrial-ventricular (AV) block on ECG of more than 1st degree;
• Clinically significant or unstable concurrent diseases: uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, significant hepatic impairment, poorly controlled pulmonary (tuberculosis, active mycotic infection of the lung), gastrointestinal (e.g. active peptic ulcer), neurological or haematological autoimmune diseases;
• Cancer or any chronic diseases with prognosis <2 years;
• History of alcohol or drug abuse;
• Patients treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants or beta-blockers as regular use;
• Allergy, sensitivity or intolerance to study drugs and/or study drug formulation ingredients;
• Patients who received any investigational new drug within the last 12 weeks;

At the end of run in period (Week 8+0; Visit 3), patients will not be randomized to treatment if they do not completely meet the definition of "controlled asthma". These subjects will be considered screening failures and will not count against the planned number to be recruited.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Chiesi Farmaceutici

Principal Investigators

Pierluigi Paggiaro, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Ospedale Cisanello, Pisa

Locations

Clinic of Pulmonology, UMHAT "Sveti Georgi"

Plovdiv, , Bulgaria

First Department of Pulmonology, Regional Dispensery of Pulmonology and Phtisiatric Diseases with Stationary (RDPPDS)

Rousse, , Bulgaria

Clinic of Pulmonology, University Hospital "Lozenetz"

Sofia, , Bulgaria

First Internal Clinic, Endocrinology and Pulmonology Department MHAT

Stara Zagora, , Bulgaria

U.O.C. S.Anna e S. Sebastiano - Malattie dell'apparato respiratorio

Caserta, , Italy

Ospedale S. Camillo de Lellis - U.O.C. Pneumologia

Chieti, , Italy

Ospedale Cardarelli - Fisiopatologia Respiratoria

Napoli, , Italy

CNR - Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Respiratoria

Palermo, , Italy

Department of Hospital Pediatrics Crimean State Medical University. Pulmonology Department of Republican Clinical Children's Hospital

Crimea, , Ukraine

Pulmonological and Allergological Department of the Kharkov Regional Clinical Hospital

Kharkiv, , Ukraine

Pulmonological Department #2

Kharkiv, , Ukraine

Pulmonological Department of the Institute of Therapy, Ukrainian Academy of Medical Sciences

Kharkiv, , Ukraine

Department of General Practice- Family medicine. Medical Academy of postgraduate education.

Kharkiv, , Ukraine

Department of Diagnostic, Therapy and Clinical Pharmacology of Lung Diseases of the Institute of Phthisiology and Pulmonology Academy of Medical Science of the Ukraine

Kiev, , Ukraine

Institute of pthysiology and pulmonology Academy of medical science of the Ukraine.

Kiev, , Ukraine

Pulmonology Department of the Institute of Phthisiology and Pulmonology AMS of the Ukraine

Kiev, , Ukraine

Clinical Hospital 8, Department of pediatrics and clinical laboratories

Kryvyi Rih, , Ukraine

Department of Hospital Therapy of Lugansk State Medical Institute. Lugansk Regional Clinical Hospital

Luhansk, , Ukraine

Countries

Bulgaria; Italy; Ukraine

References

Papi A, Nicolini G, Crimi N, Fabbri L, Olivieri D, Rossi A, Paggiaro P. Step-down from high dose fixed combination therapy in asthma patients: a randomized controlled trial. Respir Res. 2012 Jun 25;13(1):54. doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-13-54.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 22731754 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=2006-005349-13

Study Record on EU Clinical Trials Register including results

Other Identifiers

2006-005349-13

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

MC/PR/033011/005/06

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id