Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Randomised, Double Blind, Parallel Group Study to Assess the Bronchodilative and Bronchoprotective Properties of SERETIDE DISKUS® Inhaler 50/100 mcg Twice Daily vs FLIXOTIDE® Inhaler 200 mcg Twice Daily
Brief Summary: Comparison of two asthma treatments by lung function measures.


Options:
A: Inclusion:

* Physician documented diagnosis of asthma which has been present for at least 6 months.
* Receiving a total daily dose of 200-500mcg/day beclomethasone dipropionate or equivalent for at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the run-in period.

Exclusion:

* Has had 3 or more courses of oral corticosteroids in the 12 months previous to visit 1
B: Inclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosis of COPD (moderate-to-severe as classified by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Guidelines, 2007) and:

* a) Smoking history of at least 10 pack-years
* b) Post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) \< 80% and ≥ 30% of the predicted normal value
* c) Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC (forced vital capacity) \< 70%

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who have received systemic corticosteroids or antibiotics and/or was hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation in the 6 weeks prior to screening
* Patients who have had a respiratory tract infection within 6 weeks prior to screening
* Patients with concomitant pulmonary disease
* Patients with a history of asthma
* Patients with diabetes Type I or uncontrolled diabetes Type II
* Any patient with lung cancer or a history of lung cancer
* Patients with a history of certain cardiovascular comorbid conditions

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria applied to the study.
C: Inclusion Criteria :

1. Male or female adults aged ≥40 years, who had signed an informed consent form prior to initiation of any study-related procedure.
2. Patients with severe to very severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD (Stage III or IV) according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Guidelines 2008.
3. Current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack years (Ten pack-years were defined as 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years, or 10 cigarettes a day for 20 years).
4. Patients with a post-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in one second ( FEV1) \<50% of the predicted normal value, and post-bronchodilator FEV1/ Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) \<0.70 at Visit 2 (day -14). (Post refers to 1 h after sequential inhalation of 84 µg (or equivalent dose) of ipratropium bromide and 400 µg of salbutamol).
5. A documented history of at least 1 COPD exacerbation in the previous 12 months that required treatment with systemic glucocorticosteroids and/or antibiotics.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnant women or nursing mothers (pregnancy confirmed by positive urine pregnancy test).
2. Women of child-bearing potential
3. Patients requiring long term oxygen therapy (\> 15 h a day) on a daily basis for chronic hypoxemia.
4. Patients who had a COPD exacerbation that required treatment with antibiotics, systemic steroids (oral or intravenous) or hospitalization in the 6 weeks prior to visit 1 or between visit 1 (Day -21) and Visit 3 (Day 1).
5. Patients who developed a COPD exacerbation during a period between visit 1 and 3 were ineligible but were permitted to be re-screened after a minimum of 6 weeks after the resolution of the COPD exacerbation.
6. Patients who had a respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks prior to visit 1 (Day -21)

   • Patients who developed an upper or lower respiratory tract infection during the screening period (up to visit 3 (Day 1) were not eligible, but were permitted to be re-screened 4 weeks after the resolution of the respiratory tract infection
7. Patients with concomitant pulmonary disease, e.g. pulmonary tuberculosis (unless confirmed by chest x-ray to be no longer active), clinically significant bronchiectasis, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disorder or pulmonary hypertension.
8. Patients with lung lobectomy, or lung volume reduction or lung transplantation.
9. Patients who, in the judgment of the investigator, have a clinically relevant laboratory abnormality or a clinically significant condition such as (but not limited to):

   * Unstable ischemic heart disease, left ventricular failure, history of myocardial infarction, arrhythmia (excluding chronic stable Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Patients with such events not considered clinically significant by the investigator may be considered for inclusion in the study
   * history of malignancy of any organ system (including lung cancer), treated or untreated, within the past 5 years whether or not there is evidence of local recurrence or metastases, with the exception of localized basal cell carcinoma of the skin
   * uncontrolled hypo- or hyperthyroidism, hypokalemia or hyper adrenergic state
   * narrow-angle glaucoma
   * Symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction or moderate to severe renal impairment or urinary retention. (Patients with a Transurethral Resection of Prostate (TURP) were excluded from the study. Patients who underwent full re-section of the prostate could be considered for the study, as well as patients who were asymptomatic and stable on pharmacological treatment for the condition).
   * any condition which might have compromised patient safety or compliance, interfered with evaluation, or precluded completion of the study
10. Patients with any history of asthma indicated by (but not limited to) a blood eosinophil count \> 600/mm3 (at visit 2), or onset of symptoms prior to 40 years. Patients without asthma were excluded if their eosinophil count was \>600/mm3 at visit 2.
11. Patients with allergic rhinitis who used H1 antagonists or intranasal corticosteroids intermittently (treatment with a constant dose was permitted).
12. Patients with eczema (atopic), known high immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels or a known positive skin prick test in the last 5 years.
13. Patients with known history and diagnosis of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
14. Patients who were participating in the active phase of a supervised pulmonary rehabilitation program.
15. Patients with Type I or uncontrolled Type II diabetes.
16. Patients contraindicated for treatment with, or having a history of reactions/ hypersensitivity to any of the following inhaled drugs or drugs of a similar class or any component thereof:

    * anticholinergic agents
    * long and short acting beta-2 agonists
    * sympathomimetic amines.
17. Patients with a history of long QT syndrome or whose corrected QT interval (QTc) measured at visit 2 (Day -14) (Fridericia method) was prolonged (\>450 ms for males and females) as confirmed by the central ECG assessor.
18. Patients with a clinically significant abnormality on the screening or baseline ECG who in the judgment of the investigator would be at potential risk if enrolled into the study. (These patients could not be re-screened).
19. Patients who needed treatments for COPD and allied conditions after the start of the study (visit 1)
20. Patients who needed treatments for COPD and allied conditions (e.g. allergic rhinitis) unless they had been stabilized
21. Patients taking other prohibited medications
22. Patients unable to use a dry powder inhaler (e.g. single dose dry powder inhaler (SDDPI), HandiHaler® device, or pressurized Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) (rescue medication).
23. Patients unable to use an electronic patient diary.
24. Patients who were, in the opinion of the investigator known to be unreliable or non-compliant.
25. Patients who used other investigational drugs at the time of enrollment, or within 30 days or 5 half-lives of visit 1 (day -21), whichever was longer.
26. Patients who had live attenuated vaccination within 30 days prior to the screening visit or during the run-in period. Inactivated influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination or any other inactivated vaccine was acceptable provided it was not administered within 48 hours prior to screening and randomization visits.

No additional exclusions were applied by the investigator, in order to ensure that the study population was representative of all eligible patients.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Prior to participation in the study all patients must sign and date an informed consent consistent with ICH-GCP guidelines.
* Male or female patients 40 years of age or older.
* Patients with a diagnosis of COPD according to BTS criteria..A stable disease state with airway obstruction of FEV1 between 30- 65% of predicted normal value and FEV1 /FVC\<70% pre bronchodilators.
* Predicted normal values will be calculated according to ECCS:
* For height measured in metres

  * Males: FEV1 predicted (L) = 4.30 X (Ht in mts) - 0.029 X (Age in yrs) - 2.49
  * Females:FEV1 predicted (L) = 3.95 X (Ht in mts) - 0.025 X (Age in yrs) - 2.60
* For height measured in inches

  * Males: FEV1 predicted (L) = 4.30 X (Ht in inches/39.37) - 0.029 X (Age in yrs) - 2.49
  * Females:FEV1 predicted (L) = 3.95 X (Ht in inches/39.37) - 0.025 X (Age in yrs) - 2.60
* Maintained on a stable respiratory medication for 4 weeks prior to visit 1 (no changes in respiratory medication oral dosage).
* Currently taking salbutamol or terbutaline MDI or DPI.
* Patient must be able to inhale medication through the HandiHaler?
* Patients must be able to perform technically acceptable pulmonary function tests in accordance with ATS criteria and must be able to maintain records (Patient Daily Record) during the study period as required in the protocol.
* Patients must be current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of more than 10 pack years.
* Pack Years = Number of cigarettes/day 20 (Patients who have never smoked cigarettes must be excluded.)

NOTE: An exacerbation of COPD requiring treatment occurring within the four week period prior to screening visit 1 will mean that screening should be postponed for at least four weeks. Therefore, the patient should have duration of at least 4 weeks free of exacerbations.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with significant diseases, other than COPD will be excluded. A significant disease is defined as a disease which in the opinion of the investigator may either put the patient at risk because of participation in the study or a disease which may influence the results of the study or the patient's ability to participate in the study.
* Patients who have taken inhaled anticholinergics in the previous 12 months. Patients that have been treated with inhaled anticholinergics (via nebuliser or metered dose inhaler) due to an exacerbation for a time period no longer than 7 days may be included.
* Patients with an upper respiratory tract infection or exacerbation of COPD requiring treatment in the four weeks prior to the screening visit (visit 1) or during the two-week run-in period.

Patients with a recent history (i.e., six months or less) of myocardial infarction.

* Any unstable or life threatening cardiac arrhythmia requiring intervention or a change in drug therapy within the last year.
* Patients with known active tuberculosis.
* Patients who have a history of thoracotomy with pulmonary resection or have planned lung transplantation or lung volume reduction surgery.
* Patients with a history of asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease or pulmonary thromboembolic disease.
* Patients who are being treated with antihistamines (H1 receptor antagonists) for asthma or excluded allergic conditions.
* Patients with a history of cancer in the last five years; Basal cell tumours or patients whose length of time in remission is greater than five years can be included.
* Patient with known hypersensitivity to atropine, and other anticholinergic drugs or lactose or any previous adverse reaction to anticholinergic drugs that resulted in withdrawal of the anticholinergic compound.
* Patients using oral corticosteroid medication at unstable doses (i.e. Patients have been on a stable dose for less than 6 weeks prior to randomisation) or at doses in excess of the equivalent of 10mg o

Answer: A