Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Childhood Asthma Research and Education (CARE) Network Trial - Best Add-On Therapy Giving Effective Response (BADGER)
Brief Summary: Asthma is a common, serious illness among children in the United States. While a low dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may effectively control symptoms, some children may require additional medications to maintain adequate asthma control. This study compares the effectiveness of a higher dose of ICS, ICS combined with a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) medication, and ICS combined with a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) medication at reducing the impact and severity of asthma exacerbations that occur in children with mild to moderate persistent asthma.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Signed Informed Consent Form and an informed assent, if applicable
* Be between the ages of 12 to 75 years
* Have had a history of moderate to severe asthma for at least one year prior to screening
* Have had treatment with a stable regimen of of salmeterol 50 µg twice a day (BID) or formoterol 12 µg BID for at least 8 weeks prior to screening
* Have had treatment with a stable regimen of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for at least 8 weeks prior to screening
* Have inadequately controlled asthma
* Have had at least one asthma exacerbation requiring systemic corticosteroid rescue in the 12 months prior to the screening visit while receiving treatment with high-dose ICS
* Have less than 10 pack-years smoking history
* Have a positive skin test for or a positive, in vitro response to one relevant perennial aeroallergen documented within the 12 months prior to screening
* If a subject has not had a positive skin test or in vitro reactivity in the 12 months prior to screening, the subject must demonstrate a positive response to at least one relevant perennial aeroallergen in a skin or in vitro test prior to randomization
* Female subjects of childbearing potential must use an effective method of contraception from screening through their duration of participation in the study
* For the collection of additional blood samples for future research (optional), provide signed consent and an informed assent, if applicable.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Have had an asthma exacerbation requiring intubation within 12 months prior to screening
* Have active lung disease other than asthma
* Have had an asthma exacerbation requiring treatment with the addition of systemic (oral or intravenous) corticosteroids or an increase in systemic corticosteroids within 30 days prior to screening
* Require chronic immunosuppressive therapy including cyclosporine, methotrexate, etc.
* Have significant medical illness other than asthma
* Have taken methotrexate, gold salts, cyclosporine, or macrolide antibiotics, within 3 months prior to screening
* Have taken other investigational drugs within 30 days prior to screening
* Have been treated with Xolair within the 12 months prior to screening
* Have a history of drug or alcohol abuse that, in the judgment of the investigator, may put the subject at risk for being unable to participate fully in the study for the duration of the study
* Have elevated serum IgE levels for reasons other than allergy
* Are pregnant or lactating
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Have asthma for at least 3 months prior to the study.
* Have been using an allowed pre-study asthma therapy for at least 3 months prior to study.
* Currently have seasonal allergic rhinitis and have had seasonal onset of allergic rhinitis for at least the two previous allergy seasons.
* Have a positive allergy skin test.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Have a history of life-threatening asthma.
* Been hospitalized for asthma within the 6 months prior to the study.
* Have certain conditions that would make study participation unsafe.

The study doctor will evaluate other inclusion and exclusion criteria.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

Outpatients of either sex, age 18 - 75 years, with at least a documented 5 year history of asthma, and a current diagnosis of severe, persistent asthma (GINA step 4), smoking history \< 10 pack years and \>= 1 year smoking cessation; Patients must be symptomatic

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients

* with a recent history (i.e., six months or less) of myocardial infarction,
* who have been hospitalized for heart failure (NYHA class III or IV) within the past year,
* with any unstable or life threatening cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring intervention or a change in drug therapy within the past year,
* with malignancy for which the patient has undergone resection, radiation ther apy or chemotherapy within the last five years,
* who have undergone thoracotomy with pulmonary resection,
* with moderate to severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance = 50 mL/min)
D: 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

Answer: D