Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Multicenter, Randomized, 52-week, Double-blind, Parallelgroup, Active Controlled Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of QVM149 With QMF149 in Patients With Asthma
Brief Summary: The purpose of the trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two different doses of QVM149 (QVM149 150/50/80 μg and QVM149 150/50/160 μg via Concept1) over two respective QMF149 doses (QMF149 150/160 μg and QMF149 150/320) μg via Concept1 in poorly controlled asthmatics as determined by pulmonary function testing and effects on asthma control.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Best pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of greater than 40% of their predicted normal value.
2. Patients must have a treatment regimen that includes a short-acting β2 agonist (SABA) (albuterol) for use as needed and either an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or an ICS/long-acting β2 agonist (LABA) as a preventative treatment for a minimum of 8 weeks before the SV. Patients currently taking low-dose ICS without LABA are not eligible for this study. Patients currently taking low-dose ICS/LABA may only be entered into the mid ICS strength. All patients must have been maintained on a stable dose of ICS or ICS/LABA for 4 weeks prior to the SV (or pre-SV if necessary) at 1 qualifying doses
3. To meet reversibility of disease criteria, the patient must demonstrate a ≥12% reversibility of FEV1 (and 200 mL for patients aged18 years and older) within 30 minutes following 4 inhalations of albuterol at the SV. Historic reversibility within the past 12 months of the SV may be used to meet this criterion.
4. Written informed consent/assent is obtained. For adult patients (aged 18 years and older, or as applicable per local regulations), the written informed consent form (ICF) must be signed and dated by the patient before conducting any study-related procedure. For minor patients (aged 12 to 17 years, or as applicable per local regulations), the written ICF must be signed and dated by the parent/legal guardian and the written assent form must be signed and dated by the patient (if applicable) before conducting any study-related procedure. Note: Age requirements are as specified by local regulations.
5. Outpatient \>= 12 years of age on the date of consent/assent. .
6. Asthma diagnosis: The patient has a diagnosis of asthma as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The asthma diagnosis has been present for a minimum of 3 months and has been stable (defined as no exacerbations and no changes in medication) for at least 30 days before providing informed consent.
7. The patient is able to perform acceptable and repeatable spirometry.
8. The patient is able to perform peak expiratory flow (PEF) with a handheld peak flow meter.
9. The patient is able to use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) device without a spacer device and a MDPI device.
10. The patient is able to withhold (as judged by the investigator) his or her regimen of ICS or study drug, and rescue medication for at least 6 hours before the SV and before all treatment visits where spirometry is performed.
11. The patient/parent/legal guardian/caregiver is capable of understanding the requirements, risks, and benefits of study participation, and, as judged by the investigator, capable of giving informed consent/assent and being compliant with all study requirements.
12. SABAs: All patients must be able to replace their current SABA with albuterol/salbutamol HFA inhalation aerosol at the SV for use as needed for the duration of the study.
13. Female patients may not be pregnant, breastfeeding, or attempting to become pregnant.

    * -Other criteria may apply, please contact the investigator for more information

Exclusion Criteria:

1. The patient has a history of a life-threatening asthma exacerbation that is defined for this protocol as an asthma episode that required intubation and/or was associated with hypercapnea, respiratory arrest, or hypoxic seizures.
2. The patient is pregnant or lactating, or plans to become pregnant during the study period or for 30 days after the study.
3. The patient has participated as a randomized patient in any investigational drug study within the 30 days preceding the SV (or prescreening visit, as applicable) or plans to participate in another investigational drug study at any time during this study.
4. The patient has previously participated in an Fp MDPI or FS MDPI study.
5. The patient has a known hypersensitivity to any corticosteroid, salmeterol, or any of the excipients in the study drug or rescue medication formulation (ie, lactose).
6. The patient has been treated with any known strong cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitors (eg, azole antifungals, ritonavir, or clarithromycin) within 30 days before the SV or plans to be treated with any strong CYP3A4 inhibitor during the study.
7. The patient has been treated with any of the prohibited medications during the prescribed (per protocol) washout periods before the SV.
8. The patient currently smokes or has a smoking history of 10 pack-years or more (a pack-year is defined as smoking 1 pack of cigarettes/day for 1 year). The patient may not have used tobacco products within the past year (eg, cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, or pipe tobacco).
9. The patient has a culture-documented or suspected bacterial or viral infection of the upper or lower respiratory tract, sinus, or middle ear that has not resolved at least 2 weeks before the SV.
10. The patient has a history of alcohol or drug abuse within 2 years preceding the SV.
11. The patient has had an asthma exacerbation requiring systemic corticosteroids within 30 days before the SV, or has had any hospitalization for asthma within 2 months before the SV.
12. Initiation or dose escalation of immunotherapy (administered by any route) is planned during the study period. However, patients who initiated immunotherapy 90 days or more before the SV and have been on a stable (maintenance) dose for 30 days or more before the SV may be considered for inclusion.
13. The patient has used immunosuppressive medications within 4 weeks before the SV.
14. The patient is unable to tolerate or unwilling to comply with the appropriate washout periods and withholding of all applicable medications. (Patients that require continuous treatment with β-blockers, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, anticholinergics, and/or systemic corticosteroids are excluded).
15. The patient has untreated oral candidiasis at the SV. Patients with clinical visual evidence of oral candidiasis who agree to receive treatment and comply with appropriate medical monitoring may enter the study.
16. The patient has a history of a positive test for human immunodeficiency virus, active hepatitis B virus, or hepatitis C infection.
17. The patient is either an employee or an immediate relative of an employee of the clinical investigational center.
18. A member of the patient's household is participating in the study at the same time. However, after the enrolled patient completes or discontinues participation in the study, another patient from the same household may be screened.
19. The patient has a disease/condition that in the medical judgment of the investigator would put the safety of the patient at risk through participation or that could affect the efficacy or safety analysis if the disease/condition worsened during the study.

    * Other criteria may apply, please contact the investigator for more information

Criteria for Randomization:

Patients were randomized into the study if they met all of the following criteria:

1. The patient continued to be in general good health, meeting the entry criteria.
2. The patient continued to have a predose/pre-albuterol FEV1 at the randomization visit (RV) that was ≥40% of predicted normal.
3. The patient had no clinically significant abnormal laboratory test results or ECG findings at the screening visit.
4. The patient had no significant changes in asthma medications during run-in, excluding the albuterol/salbutamol HFA (90 mcg ex actuator) or equivalent used as rescue medication as supplied per protocol.
5. The patient did not have a upper respiratory tract infection (URI) or lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) during the run in period. Patients who developed a URI or LRI during the run in period could be discontinued from the study and allowed to re-screen 2 weeks after resolution of symptoms.
6. The patient had no asthma exacerbation during the run in period, defined as any worsening of asthma requiring any significant treatment other than rescue albuterol/salbutamol HFA (90 mcg ex actuator) or equivalent or the patient's run-in MDPI. This included requiring the use of systemic corticosteroids and/or emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization or an increase in the patient's regularly prescribed nonsteroidal maintenance treatment. Urgent care/ED visits where the treatment was limited to a single dose of nebulized albuterol/salbutamol did not meet the criteria of an asthma exacerbation.
7. The patient had no clinical visual evidence (on oropharyngeal examination) of oropharyngeal candidiasis.
8. The patient did not experience an adverse event that would result in failure to continue to meet selection criteria.
9. The patient did not use any of the prohibited concomitant medications during the run in period.
10. The patient complied with completion of the daily diary, defined as follows:

    * completion of AM and PM asthma symptom scores on 4 or more of the 7 days immediately preceding the RV.
    * completion of rescue medication use (whether used or not) on 4 or more of the 7 days immediately preceding the RV.
    * completion of AM peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements on 4 or more of the 7 days immediately preceding the RV.
    * recording of AM and PM asthma inhalation therapy use on 4 or more of the 7 days immediately preceding the RV.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a diagnosis of asthma, (GINA 2015) for a period of at least 1 year prior to Visit 1 (Screening).
* Patients who have used medium or high dose of ICS/LABA combinations for asthma for at least 3 months and at stable medium or high doses of ICS/LABA for at least 1 month prior to Visit 1.
* Patients must be symptomatic at screening despite treatment with mid or high stable doses of ICS/LABA. Patients with ACQ-7 score ≥ 1.5 at Visit 101 and at Visit 102 (before randomization).
* Patients with documented history of at least one asthma exacerbation which required medical care from a physician, ER visit (or local equivalent structure) or hospitalization in the 12 months prior to Visit 1, and required systemic corticosteroid treatment.
* Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 of \< 80 % of the predicted normal value for the patient according to ATS/ERS guidelines after withholding bronchodilators at both visits 101 and 102.
* Withholding period of bronchodilators prior to spirometry: SABA for ≥ 6 hrs, Twice daily LABA (or FDC of ICS/LABA) for ≥ 12 hrs, Once daily LABA (or FDC of ICS/LABA) for ≥ 24 hrs, SAMA for ≥ 8 hrs, Short acting xanthines for 12 hrs, Long acting xanthines for 24 hrs, .
* Washout period of each drug should be kept as close as possible as above and should not be longer. If longer washout period is needed due to scheduling issues, please contact Novartis Medical monitor.
* A one-time repeat of percentage predicated FEV1 (Pre-bronchodilator) at Visit 101 and/or Visit 102 is allowed in an ad-hoc visit. Repeat of Visit 101 spirometry should be done in an ad-hoc visit to be scheduled on a date that would provide sufficient time to receive confirmation from the spirometry data central reviewer of the validity of the assessment before randomization. Run-in medication should be dispensed once spirometry assessment met inclusion criteria (ATS/ERS quality criteria, FEV1 % predicted normal value, and reversibility) as per equipment
* A one-time rescreen is allowed in case the patient fails to meet the criteria at the repeat, provided the patient returned to the required treatment as per inclusion criteria 4
* Patients who demonstrate an increase in FEV1 of 12% and 200 mL within 30 minutes after administration of 400 µg salbutamol/360 µg albuterol (or equivalent dose) at Visit 101.All patients must perform a reversibility test at Visit 101. If reversibility is not demonstrated at Visit 101 then one of the following criteria need to be met.
* Reversibility should be repeated once.
* Patients may be permitted to enter the study with historical evidence of reversibility that was performed according to ATS/ERS guidelines within 2 years prior to Visit 1.
* Alternatively, patients may be permitted to enter the study with a historical positive bronchoprovocation test that was performed within 2 years prior to Visit 1. If reversibility is not demonstrated at Visit 101 (or after repeated assessment in an ad-hoc visit) and historical evidence of reversibility/bronchoprovocation is not available (or was not performed according to the ATS/ERS guidelines patients must be screen failed
* Spacer devices are permitted during reversibility testing only. The Investigator or delegate may decide whether or not to use a spacer for the reversibility testing

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who have had an asthma attack/exacerbation requiring systemic steroids or hospitalization or emergency room visit within 6 weeks of Visit 1 (Screening). If patients experience an asthma attack/exacerbation requiring systemic steroids or hospitalization or emergency room visit between Visit 1 and Visit 102 they may be re-screened 6 weeks after recovery from the exacerbation.
* Patients who have ever required intubation for a severe asthma attack/exacerbation.
* Patients who have a clinical condition which is likely to be worsened by ICS administration (e.g. glaucoma, cataract and fragility fractures) who are according to investigator's medical judgment at risk participating in the study.
* Patients treated with a LAMA for asthma within 3 months prior Visit 1 (Screening).
* Patients with narrow-angle glaucoma, symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or bladder-neck obstruction or severe renal impairment or urinary retention. BPH patients who are stable on treatment can be considered).
* Patients who have had a respiratory tract infection or asthma worsening as determined by investigator within 4 weeks prior to Visit 1 (Screening) or between Visit 1 and Visit 102. Patients may be re-screened 4 weeks after recovery from their respiratory tract infection or asthma worsening.
* Patients with evidence upon visual inspection (laboratory culture is not required) of clinically significant (in the opinion of investigator) oropharyngeal candidiasis at Visit 102 or earlier, with or without treatment. Patients may be re-screened once their candidiasis has been treated and has resolved.
* Patients with any chronic conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract (e.g. chronic sinusitis) which in the opinion of the investigator may interfere with the study evaluation or optimal participation in the study.
* Patients with a history of chronic lung diseases other than asthma, including (but not limited to) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, clinically significant bronchiectasis and active tuberculosis.
* Patients with Type I diabetes or uncontrolled Type II diabetes.
* Patients who, either in the judgment of the investigator or the responsible Novartis personnel, have a clinically significant condition such as (but not limited to) unstable ischemic heart disease, New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III/IV left ventricular failure arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, psychiatric disease, neurodegenerative diseases, or other neurological disease, uncontrolled hypo- and hyperthyroidism and other autoimmune diseases, hypokalemia, hyperadrenergic state, or ophthalmologic disorder or patients with a medical condition that might compromise patient safety or compliance, interfere with evaluation, or preclude completion of the study.
* Patients with paroxysmal (e.g., intermittent) atrial fibrillation are excluded. Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation as defined by continuous atrial fibrillation for at least 6 months and controlled with a rate control strategy (i.e., selective beta blockers, calcium channel blocker, pacemaker placement, digoxin or ablation therapy) for at least 6 months may be considered for inclusion. In such patients, atrial fibrillation must be present at the run-in visit (Visit 101) with a resting ventricular rate \< 100/min. At Visit 101 the atrial fibrillation must be confirmed by central reading.
* Patients with a history of myocardial infarction (this should be confirmed clinically by the investigator) within the previous 12 months.
* Concomitant use of agents known to prolong the QT interval unless it can be permanently discontinued for the duration of study
* Patients with a history of long QT syndrome or whose QTc measured at Visit 101 (Fridericia method) is prolonged (\> 450 msec for males and \> 460 msec for females) and confirmed by a central assessor (these patients should not be rescreened).
* Patients with a history of hypersensitivity to lactose, any of the study drugs or to similar drugs within the class including untoward reactions to sympathomimetic amines or inhaled medication or any component thereof.
* Patients who have not achieved an acceptable spirometry result at Visit 101 in accordance with ATS/ERS criteria for acceptability and repeatability. A one-time repeat spirometry is allowed in an ad-hoc visit scheduled as close as possible from the first attempt (but not on the same day) if the spirometry did not qualify due to ATS/ERS criteria at Visit 101 and/or Visit 102. If the patient fails the repeat assessment, the patient may be rescreened once, provided the patient returns to the required treatment as per inclusion criteria 4.
* Patients unable to use the Concept1 dry powder inhaler, Accuhaler or a metered dose inhaler. Spacer devices are not permitted.
* History of alcohol or other substance abuse.
* Patients with a known history of non-compliance to medication or who were unable or unwilling to complete a patient diary or who are unable or unwilling to use Electronic Peak Flow with e-diary device.
* Patients who do not maintain regular day/night, waking/sleeping cycles (e.g., night shift workers).
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Individuals who self-report Black ancestry (with at least 1 Black grandparent).
2. Able to perform reproducible spirometry according to ATS criteria.
3. Clinical history consistent with asthma.
4. Baseline FEV1≥40% of predicted and/or post-bronchodilator FEV1≥40% of predicted.
5. Asthma confirmed either by: (1) Beta-agonist reversibility to 4 puffs albuterol ≥ 12% OR (2) PC20FEV1 ≤ 16 mg/ml OR (3) an absolute relative change in %predicted FEV1 of ≥ 12% over two measurements documented by repeat spirogram over the previous year
6. Either: A) inadequately controlled on low-, medium- or high-dose ICS monotherapy, or low- or medium-dose ICS/LABA, or B) well-controlled on medium- or high-dose ICS monotherapy, or low-, medium- or high-dose ICS/LABA. Inadequate asthma control will be defined as an ACT/c-ACT score \<20; well-controlled asthma will be defined as an ACT/c-ACT score ≥20.
7. Stable asthma controller therapy dose (ICS or ICS/LABA) for the 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
8. Non-smoker (total lifetime smoking history \< 5 pack-years if \<18, or \<10 pack-years if ≥18 years of age; no smoking for at least 1 year).
9. For participants ≥18 years of age: Ability to provide informed consent. For participants under 18 years of age: Ability to provide verbal or written assent and ability of parent to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Medical contraindication to LABA or history of adverse reactions to ICS or LABA preparations or any of their ingredients.
2. Current or prior use of medications known to significantly interact with corticosteroid disposition within the two-week period preceding enrollment.
3. Unwilling to provide a blood sample for DNA extraction and genetic analysis.
4. Major medical problems prohibiting study participation, i.e. presence of chronic or active lung disease other than asthma or history of unstable 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 that would place the participant at increased risk.
5. Systemic corticosteroid treatment for any condition within 4 weeks of enrollment or more than five courses of systemic corticosteroids in the past year.
6. History of a life-threatening asthma exacerbation requiring intubation, mechanical ventilation, or resulting in a hypoxic seizure within the last 2 years.
7. History of a respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks of enrollment.
8. If a female of child-bearing potential, failure to practice abstinence or use an acceptable birth control method.
9. Pregnancy or lactation or planning to get pregnant during the course of the trial.
10. Receiving hyposensitization therapy other than an established maintenance regimen defined as a continuous regimen for ≥ 3 months prior to enrollment.
11. Participation in an intervention trial or use of investigative drugs in the past 30 days or plans to enroll in such a trial during the study.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of asthma
* Reversibility FEV1 of twelve percent or greater and two hundred milliliters and greater approximately ten to forty minutes following two to four inhalations of albuterol
* FEV1 greater than or equal to fifty percent of predicted
* Currently using moderate to high dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of life threatening asthma
* Respiratory infection or oral candidiasis
* Asthma exacerbation
* Uncontrolled disease or clinical abnormality
* Allergies
* Taking another investigational medication or prohibited medication

Answer: B