Prn Budesonide/Formoterol Versus Regular Budesonide/Formoterol Plus Prn Terbutaline in Mild-Moderate Asthma

Asthma Clinical Trial

Official title: As Needed Budesonide/Formoterol Combination Versus Regular Budesonide/Formoterol Combination Plus as Needed Terbutaline in Mild-Moderate Persistent Asthma

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Study No.001 about Budesonide/Formoterol use in ASthMA sponsored by Agenzia Italiana del FArmaco (Italian Drug Agency) (AIFA-ASMA-BF-001) The aim of the study is to verify whether asthma not controlled by low doses inhaled corticosteroids, thus in need for step up therapy, can be equally controlled by guidelines recommended regular bid treatment with long acting beta agonist/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS/LABA) combination or the symptom driven use of an ICS/LABA combination in the absence of maintenance therapy. The study is designed to be able to evaluate the non inferiority of regular placebo plus prn inhaled budesonide/formoterol (experimental treatment) versus regular, twice daily 160/4.5 mcg inhaled budesonide/formoterol combination plus prn inhaled terbutaline (guidelines recommended treatment).

Clinical Trial Description

Asthma is a problem worldwide, with an estimated 300 million affected individuals.There is evidence that asthma prevalence has been increasing in the last decades in some countries, including Italy. Analyses of the cost of asthma lead to conclude that the burden of the disease depend on the extent to which exacerbations are avoided since emergency treatment is more expensive than regular treatment.

Based on solid evidence, international guidelines recommend regular treatment with low dose ICS for mild persistent asthma and treatment with combination therapy [low dose ICS plus long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA)] for patients with asthma not controlled by low doses ICS alone. Recent studies have undermined the axiom that treatment with ICS must be regular to achieve and maintain asthma control, as equivalent control has been obtained either with prn use of an inhaled combination of a short acting beta2 agonist (SABA) and an ICS, or with a short course of 10 days high dose ICS at the start of exacerbations. In moderate-severe asthma regularly treated with inhaled ICS/LABA combination, the symptom-driven use of the same inhaled ICS/LABA combination as reliever is superior to the symptom-driven use of SABA or LABA alone. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Asthma

• NCT number: NCT00849095
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Università degli Studi di Ferrara
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: April 2009
• Completion date: May 2013