Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Blacks and Exacerbations on LABA vs. Tiotropium (BELT)
Brief Summary: We are doing this study to learn how genes affect the way that people, specifically Black people, respond to treatment for asthma. Recent studies suggest that people respond differently to some asthma medications (eg Serevent, Foradil). Some people feel better when they use these inhalers, but others may not, and some people get worse. It seems that this difference shows up more often in Blacks than in Whites, which is why we are looking for Black subjects for this study. In all people, this difference seems to depend on their genes or DNA. This study is comparing the use of long acting asthma medications (Serevent, Foradil) to Tiotropium (Spiriva) for the treatment of asthma. Spiriva is used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study will help to see if this medication is also useful for treating asthma and whether it works better for some people than the current asthma medications.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Black (self-identified, with at least one biological parent identified as Black)
2. Male and female subjects, ages 18-75
3. Ability to provide informed consent
4. Clinical history consistent with asthma for \> 1 year.
5. Ability to perform pulmonary function tests
6. FEV1 \> 40% of predicted
7. Receiving inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)/LABA combination therapy, or ICS moderate dose monotherapy and baseline ACQ\>1.25
8. Non-smoker for past year (total lifetime smoking history \< 10 pack-years)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Use of greater than the equivalent of 1000 mcg inhaled fluticasone daily
2. Chronic use of oral corticosteroids or Anti IgE for asthma
3. Lung disease other than asthma or diagnosis of vocal cord dysfunction.
4. Significant medical illness (other than asthma) that is not stable.
5. Pregnancy or lactation or an unwillingness to maintain effective birth control.
6. History of a significant exacerbation of asthma or respiratory tract infection in the prior 4 weeks
7. History of life-threatening asthma requiring treatment with intubation and mechanical ventilation within 5 years.
8. Hypo sensitization therapy other than an established maintenance regimen.
9. Use of inhaled anticholinergic therapy (ipratropium, tiotropium) in prior month
10. Known contraindication to inhaled tiotropium e.g. narrow angle glaucoma, history of bladder neck obstruction or significant symptoms related to prostatic hypertrophy.
11. Inability to speak and read English.
B: Inclusion_Criteria:

1. Patients homozygous for arginine at the 16th amino acid position of the beta2 adrenergic receptor (B16 Arg/Arg)
2. All patients must sign and date an Informed Consent Form for the study prior to participation in the trial
3. Male or female outpatients with at least 18 years of age, but not older than 65 years
4. Patients must have a documented history of asthma
5. Patients must be current non-smokers or ex-smokers with a cigarette smoking history of \<10 pack-years
6. Patients must be on a maintenance treatment with inhaled corticosteroids with a total daily dose of 400 - 1000 mcg budesonide or equivalent

Exclusion_Criteria:

1. Patients with a significant disease other than asthma
2. Patients with a recent history (i.e., six months or less) of myocardial infarction
3. Patients who have been hospitalized for heart failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV) within the past year
4. Patients with any unstable or life threatening cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring intervention or a change in drug therapy within the past year
5. Patients with malignancy for which the patient has undergone resection, radiation therapy or chemotherapy within the last five years. Patients with treated basal cell carcinoma are allowed.
6. Patients with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
7. Patients with a history of life threatening pulmonary obstruction, or a history of cystic fibrosis or clinically evident bronchiectasis
8. Patients with known active tuberculosis
9. Patients who have undergone thoracotomy with pulmonary resection.
10. Patients who have completed a pulmonary rehabilitation program in the six weeks prior to visit 1 or patients who are currently in a pulmonary rehabilitation program that will not be maintained throughout the duration of the study.
C: Inclusion criteria:

1. All patients must sign and date an Informed Consent Form consistent with ICH-GCP guidelines and local legislation prior to participation in the trial (i.e. prior to any trial procedures, including any pre-trial washout of medications and medication restrictions for pulmonary function test at Visit 1).
2. Male or female patients aged at least 18 years but not more than 75 years.
3. All patients must have at least a 5-year history of asthma at the time of enrolment into the trial and the diagnosis of asthma must have been made before the patient´s age of 40.
4. All patients must have a diagnosis of severe persistent asthma and must be symptomatic despite treatment with high, stable doses of inhaled corticosteroids and a long-acting beta adrenergic agent
5. All patients must have a history of one or more asthma exacerbation in the past year.
6. Patients must have evidence of treated, severe, persistent asthma in postbronchodilator pulmonary function tests.
7. Patients should be never-smokers or ex-smokers who stopped smoking at least one year prior to enrolment and who have a smoking history of less than 10 pack years
8. Patients must be able to use the Respimat® inhaler correctly
9. Patients must be able to perform all trial related procedures including technically acceptable pulmonary function tests and use of the electronic diary/peak flow meter.

Exclusion criteria:

1. Patients with a significant disease other than asthma. A significant disease is defined as a disease which, in the opinion of the investigator, may (i) put the patient at risk because of participation in the trial, or (ii) influence the results of the trial, or (iii) cause concern regarding the patient´s ability to participate in the trial.
2. Patients with clinically relevant abnormal screening haematology or blood chemistry.
3. Patients with a recent history (i.e. six months or less) of myocardial infarction, hospitalisation for cardiac failure during the past year, any unstable or life threatening cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring intervention or a change in drug therapy within the past year, known active tuberculosis, malignancy for which the patient has undergone resection, radiation therapy or chemotherapy within the last five years (treated basal cell carcinoma allowed), lung diseases other than asthma (e.g. COPD), significant alcohol or drug abuse within the past two years, patients who have undergone thoracotomy with pulmonary resection. Patients with a history of thoracotomy for other reasons should be evaluated as per exclusion criterion No. 1.
4. Patients who are currently in a pulmonary rehabilitation program or have completed a pulmonary rehabilitation program in the 6 weeks prior to the screening visit (Visit 1).
5. Patients using oral corticosteroid medication at stable doses exceeding 5 mg prednisolone or prednisolone equivalent every day or 10 mg prednisolone or prednisolone equivalent every second day.
6. Patients with known hypersensitivity to anticholinergic drugs, BAC, EDTA or any other components of the tiotropium inhalation solution.
7. Pregnant or nursing women or women of childbearing potential not using a highly effective method of birth control. Female patients will be considered to be of childbearing potential unless surgically sterilised by hysterectomy or bilateral tubal ligation/salpingectomy, or post-menopausal for at least two years.
8. Patients who have taken an investigational drug within four weeks or six half-lives (whichever is greater) prior to Visit 1.
9. Patients who have been treated with the long-acting anticholinergic tiotropium (Spiriva®), beta-blocker medication, oral beta-adrenergics, other non-approved and according to international guidelines not recommended ´experimental´ drugs for routine asthma therapy (e.g. TNF-alpha blockers, methotrexate, cyclosporin) within four weeks prior to the Screening Visit (Visit 1) or during the screening period.
10. Patients with any asthma exacerbation or respiratory tract infection in the four weeks prior to the trial.
11. Patients who have previously been randomised in this trial or in the respective twin trial (205.416 versus 205.417) or are currently participating in another trial.
12. Patients with a known narrow-angle glaucoma.

Note:

As with other anticholinergic drugs, tiotropium should be used with caution in patients with prostatic hyperplasia or bladder neck obstruction.

As with all predominantly renally excreted drugs, patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (known creatinine clearance of \<= 50 mL/min) treated with tiotropium should be monitored closely.
D: Inclusion criteria:

1. All patients must sign an informed consent consistent with International Conference on Harmonization Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) guidelines prior to participation in the trial, which includes medication washout and restrictions.
2. Male or female patients 40 years of age or older.
3. Patients must be current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years. (Patients who have never smoked cigarettes must be excluded)
4. All patients must have a diagnosis of COPD (P06-12085), and must meet the following criteria: Relatively stable airway obstruction with a post-bronchodilator FEV1 ≤ 70% of predicted normal and post-bronchodilator FEV1 / FVC ≤70%.

   Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were conducted after the inhalation of 400 μg salbutamol / albuterol (preferred), however testing with either 200 μg salbutamol/albuterol or a combination of salbutamol / albuterol with ipratropium bromide (2 to 4 actuations) was acceptable. Other short-acting beta agonists, such as terbutaline, may have been used for the testing. The medication used for the testing was documented. Further, historical data from measurements within the past 6 months either at the site or at a referral site may have been used (see Section 6.2.1 of the CTP, located in Appendix 16.1.1). Subjects were not to have been randomized to the study without the availability of spirometry data at the actual study site.

   Eligibility for PFT sub-study: For subjects participating in the spirometry sub-study, historical data may not have been used for inclusion. These subjects must have qualified in the clinic at Visit 1 after performing a baseline measurement. These subjects performed a pre-dose PFT which was followed by the administration of 400 μg salbutamol / albuterol only (no other short-acting beta agonist was allowed), followed by a post-dose PFT for qualification.
5. Able to inhale from the HandiHaler® and the Respimat® devices.

Exclusion criteria:

1. Significant diseases other than COPD. A significant disease is defined as a disease or condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, may put the patient at risk because of participation in the study or may influence the patients ability to participate in the study.
2. Patients with a recent history (i.e., six months or less) of myocardial infarction.
3. Patients with any unstable or life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia requiring intervention or change in drug therapy during the last year.
4. Hospitalisation for cardiac failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV) during the past year.
5. Known active tuberculosis.
6. Patients with a history of asthma, cystic fibrosis, clinically evident bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, or pulmonary thromboembolic disease.
7. History of thoracotomy with pulmonary resection. Subjects with a history of thoracotomy for other reasons were to have been evaluated per exclusion criterion 1.
8. Subject was planning to undergo lung transplant or lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS).
9. Malignancy for which the subject had undergone resection, radiation, chemotherapy or biological treatments within the last 5 years. Subjects with treated basal cell carcinoma were allowed.
10. Known respiratory infection or exacerbation of COPD in the 4 weeks prior to randomization.
11. Known hypersensitivity to anticholinergic drugs, lactose, benzalkonium chloride (BAC), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or any other components of the HandiHaler® or Respimat® inhalation solution delivery system.
12. Known moderate to severe renal impairment (as judged by the investigator).
13. Known narrow angle glaucoma.
14. Known significant symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction. Subjects whose symptoms were controlled on treatment may have been included.
15. Use of systemic corticosteroid medication at unstable doses (i.e., less than 6 weeks on stable dose) or at doses in excess of the equivalent of 10 mg prednisolone per day.
16. Pregnant or nursing women or women of childbearing potential not using a medically approved means of contraception for at least 3 months prior to and for the duration of the trial.
17. Significant alcohol or drug abuse within the past 12 months.
18. Subjects requiring the use of supplemental oxygen therapy for \> 12 hours per day.
19. Subjects who had completed a pulmonary rehabilitation program in the 6 weeks prior to the screening visit or subjects who were currently in a pulmonary rehabilitation program that was not maintained throughout the duration of the study.
20. Subjects who had taken an investigational drug within 30 days prior to the Screening Visit.
21. Previous participation (receipt of randomized treatment) in this study.
22. Subjects who were currently participating in an interventional study.

Answer: A