Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, Multicenter Study of the Effects of Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol Combination Product 250/50mcg BID (ADVAIR DISKUS™) in Comparison to Salmeterol 50mcg BID (SEREVENT DISKUS™) on the Rate of Exacerbations of COPD Following Hospitalization
Brief Summary: This trial is a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter study to be conducted in the United States. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the rate of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following hospital discharge for an acute exacerbation of COPD, in patients receiving either fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination product 250/50mcg BID or salmeterol 50mcg BID via DISKUS™ over 29 weeks. The study population will include patients hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of COPD. The target enrolment is 720 subjects at 80 study centers. The primary endpoint is the rate of exacerbation requiring hospitalization that occur more than 21 days post-discharge, emergency room visit or physician's office visit for an exacerbation of COPD requiring treatment with oral corticosteroids or oral corticosteroids and antibiotics. The secondary endpoint is the rate of COPD exacerbation requiring treatment with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, and/or hospitalization (alone and in combination). Related efficacy endpoints include, time to first exacerbation of COPD requiring treatment with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, and/or hospitalization (alone and in combination), pre-dose AM FEV1, the probability of premature withdrawal of subject from the study, and supplemental albuterol use, change in biomarkers of inflammation, including, surfactant protein D (SP-D), clara cell secretory protein 16 (CC-16) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Health outcome assessments include domain scores evaluation for fatigue, dyspnea, emotional function and mastery, measured with the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire self-administered standardized format (CRQ-SAS); and symptoms (congestion, cough, phlegm, mucus, chest discomfort, shortness of breath and sleep disturbance), assessed by the EXAcerbations of Chronic pulmonary disease Tool (EXACT). Albuterol will be supplied to study subjects for use as-needed throughout the study. Safety will be assessed by monitoring of adverse events.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Men and women (neither pregnant nor nursing women) ≥40 years of age, with a history of smoking (\>20 years/pack) and COPD diagnosis according to GOLD criteria.
* Post-bronchodilator FEV1 \>50% and \<80%, and FEV1/FVC ≤70% of predicted value.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Hospital admission due to COPD exacerbation or lung infection in the 6 weeks prior to screening, diagnosis of current or previous bronchial asthma, history of allergic rhinitis or other atopic diseases, or peripheral eosinophilia \>400/mm3.
* Inability to discontinue the usual bronchodilator therapy prior to initial screening tests, need for continuous oxygen therapy, or arterial oxygen saturation \<85% at rest, or history of adverse reactions to sympathomimetic amines or use of inhaled medication.
* Anemia, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, hyperadrenergic conditions, uncontrolled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, malignancy, or any disease or condition that limits exercise capacity other than COPD.
* History of drug or alcohol abuse, poor adherence to drug treatment, or treatment with any investigational drug in the month before screening.
* Patients with ventricular arrhythmia.
* Patients with \<80% oxyhemoglobin saturation during exercise testing
B: Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects eligible for enrolment in this study must meet all of the following criteria:

* Male or female of at least 40 years of age at screening.

To be eligible for entry into the study, females of childbearing potential must commit to the consistent and correct use of an acceptable method of birth control starting on the day of visit 1, throughout the clinical trial, and for a period after the trial to account for elimination of the drug (minimum of six days), as defined by any one of the following:

* Abstinence Females of childbearing potential who are not sexually active must commit to complete abstinence from intercourse
* Oral contraceptive (either combined estrogen/progestin or progestin only)
* Injectable progestogen
* Implants of levonorgestrel or etonogestrel
* Percutaneous contraceptive patches
* Intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS) with a documented failure rate of less than 1% per year,
* Male partner who is sterile (vasectomy with documentation of azoospermia) prior to the female subject's entry into the study and is the sole sexual partner for that female subject, or
* Double-barrier method; condom or occlusive cap (diaphragm or cervical /vault caps) plus spermicide.
* Current or former smokers with a \>10 pack-year cigarette smoking history \[number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day / 20) X number of years smoked (e.g., 10 pack-years is equal to 20 cigarettes per day for 10 years, or 10 cigarettes per day for 20 years\]. Former smokers are defined as those who have quit smoking for at least 3 months prior to the screening visit.
* Any of the following populations:
* Patients hospitalized for a duration not exceeding 10 days due to an acute exacerbation of COPD, and who must be randomized within 10 days post-discharge.
* Patients with COPD who were treated and held for observation in the emergency department (i.e. emergency room, ER) for at least 24 hours due to an acute exacerbation of COPD, and who must be randomized within 10 days post-discharge.
* Patients who received oral corticosteroids or oral corticosteroids and antibiotics for treatment of an exacerbation of COPD during a physician's office visit and who must be randomized within 10 days of the visit, and who have been hospitalized within the previous six months due to an acute exacerbation of COPD.
* Clinical diagnosis of COPD (for at least 6 months). The following definition of COPD from the American Thoracic Society (ATS) will be used: COPD is a disease state characterized by the presence of airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis or emphysema; the airflow obstruction is generally progressive, may be accompanied by airway hyper-reactivity, and may be partially reversible \[American Thoracic Society, 1995\].
* Documented evidence (within a year prior to Visit 1) in the medical chart of spirometry confirming the diagnosis of COPD and/or spirometry performed prior to randomization (Visit 2) that confirms pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio less than or equal to 0.70 and pre-bronchodilator FEV1 \<70% of predicted.
* Review and subject's completion of written informed consent: a subject-signed and dated written informed consent (form) must be obtained prior to any study procedure, and the subject must be willing to comply with all the requirements of the study protocol.
* Subject must be able to read, comprehend, and record information in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects meeting any of the following criteria must not be enrolled in the study:
* Diagnosis of pneumonia, congestive heart failure (CHF), or other complicating co-morbid condition while hospitalized within the last 6 months for an exacerbation of COPD.
* Historical or current evidence of clinically significant uncontrolled disease including, but not limited to, those listed below. Significant is defined as any disease that, in the opinion of the investigator, would put the safety of the subjects at risk through study participation, or which would affect the safety analysis or other analyses if the disease/condition exacerbated during the study.
* A previous lung resection surgery (e.g. lobectomy, pneumonectomy, etc) within the year preceding Visit 1 (Screening)
* Asthma as primary diagnosis
* Lung cancer
* Cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, active tuberculosis, or sarcoidosis
* Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias
* Uncontrolled hypertension
* Unstable angina
* Current malignancy or a previous history of cancer in remission for \< 5yrs (localized basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin that has been resected is not excluded)
* Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
* Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
* Immunologic compromise
* Cushing's or Addison's disease
* An abnormal 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) at Visit 1 (Screening) deemed to be clinically significant by the investigator.
* A chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan performed in the 6 months preceding Visit 1 that revealed evidence of clinically significant abnormalities not believed to be due to the presence of COPD. If the subject does not have a record of a chest X-ray, one must be obtained and reviewed prior to randomization.
* Female patients with a positive urine pregnancy test at Visit 1.
* Any infirmity, physical disability, or geographic location that would limit compliance for scheduled visits.
* Any adverse reaction, immediate or delayed, hypersensitivity to any Beta-agonist, sympathomimetic drug, or corticosteroid including any components of the study drug formulations.
* Limited ability to provide a valid informed consent due to psychiatric disease, intellectual deficiency, poor motivation, current substance abuse (including illicit drugs and alcohol), or neurological disorders that might interfere with completion of study procedures or hearing problems that may impede effective communication.
* Study site staff (i.e. participating investigator, sub-investigator, study coordinator, employee of the participating investigator) or family members of site staffs.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with moderate to severe stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
* Smoking history of 10 pack years
* Post-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) between 30 - 80%
* Patients must be able to use computer mouse and display
* mMRC grade\>2

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a history of long QT syndrome
* Patients with Type I or uncontrolled Type II diabetes
* Patients who have had a COPD exacerbation or respiratory tract infection within 6 weeks prior to screening
* Patients with any history of asthma
* Patients with pulmonary lobectomy, lung volume reduction surgery, or lung transplantation
* Patients with concomitant pulmonary disease
* Patients requiring long term oxygen therapy (\>15 h a day)

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult male or non-pregnant, non-lactating female aged ≥40. Women of childbearing potential are allowed to enter the trial if they show to have a negative serum pregnancy test at the Screening Visit and are using, during the last two months before the Screening Visit, at least one medically approved and highly effective method of birth control defined as those which result in a low failure rate (i.e less than 1% per year) when used consistently and correctly such as implants, injectables, oral contraceptives combined with at least one barrier method, hormonal Intrauterine Devices (IUDs), sexual abstinence or vasectomy of the partner.
* Current or ex-cigarette smoker, with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years.
* Patient with a clinical diagnosis of stable COPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease "GOLD" Guidelines at the Screening Visit.
* Patient whose FEV1/FVC (Forced Vital Capacity) at the Screening Visit measured between 10-15 minutes post inhalation of 400 micrograms of salbutamol is \< 70% (i.e., 100 x Post-salbutamol FEV1 /FVC \< 70%).
* Patient with a diagnosis of moderate to severe COPD according to the GOLD Guidelines classification (stages II and III) at the Screening Visit: FEV1 measured between 10-15 minutes post inhalation of 400 micro grams of salbutamol is 30% \< FEV1 \< 80% of the predicted normal value (i.e., 100 x Post-salbutamol FEV1/ Predicted FEV1 must be \< 80% and ≥ 30%).
* Patient must be able to perform repeatable pulmonary function testing for FEV1 according to American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society "ATS/ERS" 2005 criteria at Screening Visit.
* Patient who is eligible and able to participate in the trial and who consent to do so in writing after the purpose and nature of the investigation have been explained.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History or current diagnosis of asthma.
* Any respiratory tract infection (including the upper respiratory tract) or COPD exacerbation in the 6 weeks before Screening Visit.
* Patient hospitalised for COPD exacerbation within 3 months prior to Screening Visit.
* Clinically significant respiratory conditions defined as:

  * Known active tuberculosis.
  * History of interstitial lung or massive pulmonary thromboembolic disease.
  * Pulmonary resection or lung volume reduction surgery within 12 months prior to Screening Visit.
  * History of lung transplantation.
  * History of bronchiectasis secondary to respiratory diseases others than COPD (e.g., cystic fibrosis, Kartagener's syndrome, etc).
  * Known a1-antitrypsin deficiency.
* Patients who in the Investigator's opinion might have needed to start a pulmonary rehabilitation program during the study and/or patients who started/finished it within 3 months prior to screening.
* Use of long-term oxygen therapy (≥ 15 hours/day).
* Patients who did not maintain regular day/night, waking/sleeping cycles including night shift workers (eg, history of sleep apnoea syndrome, any condition related to sleep disturbances such as restless-legs syndrome or somnambulism).
* Clinically significant cardiovascular conditions defined as:

  * Myocardial infarction within the 6 months prior to screening.
  * Thoracic surgery within 12 months prior to screening.
  * Unstable angina or unstable arrhythmia which had required changes in the pharmacological therapy or other intervention within 12 months prior to screening, or newly diagnosed arrhythmia within the previous 3 months prior to screening.
  * Hospitalisation within 12 months prior to screening for heart failure functional classes III (marked limitation of activity and only comfortable at rest) and IV (need of complete rest, confinement to bed or chair, discomfort at any physical activity and presence of symptoms at rest) as per the New York Heart Association.
* Patients (with or without pharmacological therapy) with resting systolic blood pressure (SBP)

  ≥200 mmHg, a resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥120 mmHg, or a resting heart rate ≥105 beats per minute (bpm) at screening and at Visit 1 prior to randomisation.
* Patients with interval corrected for heart rate "QTc" \[calculated according to formulae (QTc=QT/RR1/2) \> 470 msec as indicated in the centralised reading report assessed at Screening Visit.
* Patients with clinically relevant abnormalities in the clinical laboratory tests, ECG parameters (other than QT interval corrected using Bazett's formula \[QTcB\]) or in the physical examination at screening, if the abnormality defined a disease state listed as exclusion criteria, except for those related to COPD.
* Patients with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to inhaled anticholinergics, sympathomimetic amines, or inhaled medication or any component thereof (including report of paradoxical bronchospasm). Patients with known narrow-angle glaucoma, symptomatic bladder neck obstruction or acute urinary retention.
* Patients with symptomatic non-stable prostate hypertrophy. (However, patients with well-controlled, stable, asymptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy were not excluded).
* Patients with known uncontrolled history of infection with human immunodeficiency virus and/or active hepatitis.
* Current diagnosis of cancer other than basal or squamous cell skin cancer.
* Life expectancy of less than 1 year.
* Patients with any other serious or uncontrolled physical or mental dysfunction that, as judged by the Investigator, could have placed the patient at higher risk from his/her participation in the study, could have confounded the results of the study, or is likely to prevent the patient from complying with the requirements of the study, or completing the study.
* Patients with a history (within 2 years prior to screening) of drug and/or alcohol abuse that might have prevented study compliance based on the Investigator judgment.
* Patients unlikely to be cooperative (eg, take the medication, complete the Patient Diaries or attend the clinic at the required times).
* Patients unable to properly use a DPI or pMDI inhaler device or to perform spirometry measurements.
* Patients previously randomised in a study involving aclidinium bromide/formoterol FDC.
* Patients previously randomised in a study involving aclidinium bromide monotherapy except when participation finished at least 6 months before screening.
* Patients treated with any investigational drug within 30 days (or 6 half-lives, whichever is longer) prior to screening.
* Patients who intended to use any concomitant medication not permitted by this protocol or who had not undergone the required washout period for a particular prohibited medication.
* Patients unable to give consent, or patients of consenting age but under guardianship, or vulnerable patients.
* Patients employed, or relatives of employees at the study centre, Almirall or Forest Laboratories.
* Any other conditions that, in the Investigator's opinion, might have indicated the patient to be unsuitable for the study.

Answer: B