Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Childhood Asthma Management Program
Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long term effects of anti-inflammatory therapy compared to bronchodilator therapy on the course of asthma, particularly on lung function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and on physical and psychosocial growth and development.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Able to perform reproducible spirometry according to American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria
* History of asthma symptoms (e.g., cough, wheezing, shortness of breath) and meets at least one of the following criteria:

  1. Naïve to controller therapy and meeting National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) criteria for mild-moderate persistent asthma (symptoms at least 2 days per week and/or night-time awakenings due to asthma at least 2 nights per month)
  2. Current uncontrolled asthma (meets NAEPP criteria for mild-moderate persistent asthma) while receiving an ICS dose greater than or equal to 200 ug per day of fluticasone equivalent or some form of non-ICS controller therapy (e.g., montelukast, theophylline, cromolyn)
  3. Asthma is currently under control while receiving an ICS dose between 300 to 400 ug per day of fluticasone equivalent and willing to consider changing current treatment to monotherapy with one dose of ICS (current standard of care)
  4. Asthma is currently under control while receiving some form of combination therapy, such as ICS less than or equal to 200 ug per day of fluticasone equivalent in addition to a non-ICS controller therapy (e.g., LABA, montelukast, theophylline, cromolyn), and willing to consider changing current treatment to monotherapy with one dose of ICS (current standard of care)
* FEV1 reversibility of at least 12% following bronchodilator administration (4 puffs) at study visit 1. Individuals will need to hold albuterol, montelukast, theophylline, ipratropium bromide (or other anticholinergics) and LABAs per study instructions prior to reversibility testing. If an individual is receiving these types of medications prior to study visit 1, he/she may be brought back to the clinical center within 1 week following appropriate medication withholding to attempt qualification by reversibility criteria. If the individual does not meet this requirement, they may qualify for enrollment if their PC20 methacholine FEV1 is less than or equal to 12.5 mg/ml at the time of randomization. If FEV1 is less than 70%, thus precluding the methacholine challenge at this visit, then completion of the visit will be postponed several days and an additional attempt to obtain a methacholine challenge test will be made. If the methacholine challenge still cannot be performed, an individual may still qualify by reversibility criteria at this visit.
* History of clinical varicella or varicella vaccine; individuals needing the vaccine may receive it from their primary care physician prior to study entry
* Ability of parent to provide informed consent; verbal assent must be obtained from children less than 7 years of age and written assent must be obtained from children between 7 and 18 years of age
* If female, willing to use an effective form of contraception

Prior to being randomly assigned to a treatment group, participants must meet the following criteria to remain in the study:

* Lack of acceptable asthma control during the 8-week screening period as defined by the following criteria:

  1) On average, on more than 2 days per week, one or all of the following:
  1. Diary-reported symptoms
  2. The use of inhaled bronchodilator (not including pre-exercise)
  3. Peak flows in the yellow zone (less than 80% of post bronchodilator PEF value obtained at study visit 1) OR
* On average, more than 1 night-time awakening due to asthma, during each 2-week period

Exclusion Criteria:

* Corticosteroid treatment for any condition prior to study entry within the following defined timepoints:

  1. Oral - Use within 2 weeks of the screening visit
  2. Injectable - Use within 2 weeks of the screening visit
  3. Nasal - May be used at any time during the study at the discretion of the study investigator or primary care physician
* Current or prior use of medications known to significantly interact with corticosteroid disposition (within a 2-week period of study visit 1), including but not limited to carbamazepine, erythromycin or other macrolide antibiotics, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, or ketoconazole
* Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 less than 60% predicted at study visit 1
* More than three hospitalizations for asthma in the year prior to study entry
* Presence of chronic or active lung disease other than asthma
* Significant medical illness other than asthma, including thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, hepatic disease, or concurrent medical problems that could require oral corticosteroids during the study or would place the participant at increased risk while participating in the study
* History of cataracts, glaucoma, or any other medical disorder associated with an adverse effect to corticosteroids
* Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms not controlled by standard medical therapy
* History of significant asthma exacerbation within 2 weeks of study visit 1 or more than 5 courses of systemic corticosteroids in the year prior to study entry
* History of a life-threatening asthma exacerbation requiring intubation, mechanical ventilation, or resulting in a hypoxic seizure within the 5 years prior to study entry
* History of adverse reactions to ICS, LTRA, or LABA preparations or any of their ingredients
* Receiving hyposensitization therapy other than an established maintenance regimen (i.e., continuous regimen for at least 3 months prior to study entry)
* Pregnant or breastfeeding
* Inability to perform study procedures
* Refusal to consent to a genotype evaluation
* Inability of the child to ingest the study drug
* Cigarette smoking or smokeless tobacco use in the year prior to study entry
* Current participation or participation in the month prior to study entry in another investigational drug trial
* Evidence that the family may be unreliable or nonadherent, or may move from the clinical center area before study completion
B: Inclusion criteria:

* Age 5 to 12 years at time of screening
* Chronic asthma as evidenced by one or more of the following historical findings for at least 6 months during the past year:
* Asthma symptoms at least 2 times per week
* 2 or more usages per week of an inhaled bronchodilator
* Daily asthma medication
* Current asthma symptoms either by diary symptom code of 1 or greater or am or pm PEFR less than 80% of personal best post-bronchodilator value by diary, on 8 or more days during the prn screening period
* Methacholine sensitivity: estimated PC20 FEV1 less than or equal to 12.5 mg/ml
* Consent of guardian and assent of child
* Ability to comply with trial for 5 - 6.5 years

Exclusion criteria:

* Presence of one or more of the following confounding or complicating problems:
* Any other active pulmonary disease
* Any chronic condition presumed to interfere with the successful completion of the project or confound its interpretation
* Pulmonary function testing findings suggesting a ventilatory defect other than asthma, or evidence of existing irreversible lung damage
* Severe chronic sinusitis or nasal polyposis
* Introduction of or a change in allergen immunotherapy within the past month
* Use of more than 4 sprays of nasal steroids daily (only beclomethasone allowed)
* Pregnancy
* Current use of metoclopramide, ranitidine, or cimetidine
* Treatment for gastroesophageal reflux
* Participation in another drug study
* Evidence of severe asthma as indicated by one or more of the following:
* Two or more hospitalizations for asthma in the past year
* Six or more steroid bursts in the past year
* Demonstrated need for continuous use of glucocorticoids, either oral or inhaled
* When off inhaled O2-agonist for more than 4 hrs and theophylline for more than 24 hrs, FEV1 less than 65% predicted
* Intubation for asthma at any time in the past
* Need for 9 or more puffs/day of albuterol for each of 3 consecutive days (excluding preventive use prior to exercise), or nocturnal asthma awakenings more than 1.5 times per week on average, or average diary card symptom code greater than 2, or requirement for other medications to control asthma, during prn screening period
* Inability to perform 3 acceptable FVC maneuvers of which at least 2 reproducible FEV1s are within 10% of the largest FEV1
* Inability to complete the methacholine challenge or methacholine PC20 FEV1 greater than 12.5 mg/ml
* Evidence that patient or family may be unreliable or non-compliant or may move from the metropolitan area before trial completion
C: Inclusion criteria:

* Male or female subjects aged 6-12 years (inclusive)
* A female is eligible to enter and participate in the study if she is:

of non-child-bearing potential; OR of child-bearing potential, but not lactating and pregnant. She declares that it is not probable that she will become pregnant during the study (a pregnancy test can be performed at the investigators discretion)

* Subjects with a documented history of asthma for at least 6 months
* Subjects with a documented history of BHR within 12 months prior to inclusion or BHR on visit 1 (PD20 methacholine \< 150 mcg or an equivalence for histamine)
* Subjects who have received BDP, budesonide up to 100-200 mcg bd or fluticasone propionate at a dose of up to 125 mcg bd for at least 4 weeks before the start of the run-in period.
* Subjects who are able to use a electronic peakflow /FEV1 meter (PIKO-1)
* Subjects who have a normal length SD score between -2SD and +2SD
* Subjects who are able to use a Diskus inhaler
* Subjects who are able to perform reproducible lung function tests at visit 1 (variation FEV1 \< 5% between the two best measurements)
* Subjects and their guardians, who have given written informed consent to participate in the study
* Subjects or their parent/ guardian who are able to understand and complete a DRC. The DRC may be completed by a parent/guardian if the subject is unable to do this him/ herself
* Subjects able to use Ventolin on an 'as required for symptoms' basis

Exclusion criteria:

* Subjects who have been hospitalised for their asthma within 4 weeks of visit 1
* Subjects who had an acute upper respiratory tract infection within 2 weeks or a lower respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks prior to visit 1
* Subjects who received oral, parental or depot corticosteroids within 4 weeks prior to visit 1
* Subjects who have a known respiratory disorder other than asthma and/or systemic/thoracic abnormalities which influence normal lung function
* Subjects with a disorder that affects growth (e.g. Turner's syndrome)
* Subjects who have received any investigational drugs within 4 weeks of visit 1
* Subjects with a known or suspected hypersensitivity to inhaled steroids, β2-agonists or lactose
* Subjects who use any medication that significantly inhibit the cytochrome P450 subfamily enzyme CYP3A4, including ritonavir and ketoconazole
* Subjects who concurrently participate in another clinical study
* Subjects who have previously been randomised in this trial
D: Ages eligible for study: 12 years and above; genders eligible for study: both; prior steroid use: steroid-requiring

Inclusion Criteria:

* History of asthma for at least 12 months.
* Documented use of inhaled corticosteroid for at least 4 weeks prior to Screening Visit Demonstrate FEV-1 of 40-80% of predicted normal values at Screening and Baseline Visit.
* Documented reversibility of 15% within 12 months of Screening visit or at Screening Visit (15% increase from pre-FEV-1 levels following albuterol inhalation or nebulized albuterol administration).
* Symptoms of Asthma during Run-in.
* Females of childbearing potential must have a negative urine pregnancy test at Screening and Baseline Visits. Females are eligible only if they are not pregnant or lactating, and are either sterile or using acceptable methods of contraception
* Must otherwise be healthy.
* Provide written informed consent. Wishes of minors must be respected.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Life-threatening asthma within past year or during Run-In Period.
* History of systemic corticosteroid medication within 3 months before Screening Visit.
* History of omalizumab use within past 6 months.
* History of leukotriene receptor antagonist use, e.g. montelukast, within past week.
* Current evidence or history of any clinically significant disease or abnormality including uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, or cardiac dysrhythmia.
* Upper or lower respiratory infection within 4 weeks prior to Screening visit or during Run-In Period
* Significant, non-reversible, pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease \[COPD\], cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis).
* Known Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive status.
* Smoking history equivalent to "10 pack years".
* Current smoking history within 12 months prior to Screening Visit.
* Current evidence or history of alcohol and/or substance abuse within 12 months prior to Screening visit.
* Patients who are confined in institution.

Answer: B