Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Two Stage Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel Group, Phase III, Multicenter, 7 Month Study to Assess the Efficacy & Safety of SYMBICORT pMDI Adminstered Either as Fixed or as an Adjustable Regimen Versus a Fixed Regimen of Advair in Subjects 12 Yrs of Age and Older With Asthma.
Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether Symbicort compared with Advair, will be more effective in controlling asthma in adults and adolescents.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Consent to participate in the study
2. Age 4-11 years old
3. Male or eligible female - Female subjects should not be enrolled if they are pregnant, lactating or plan to become pregnant during the time of study participation
4. Asthma diagnosis for at least 6 months
5. Ability to answer questions regarding asthma control and use a metered dose inhaler and DISKUS
6. A history of clinical varicella infection or recipient of a varicella vaccine in countries where the product label includes a warning regarding more serious chickenpox infections in patients using corticosteroids.
7. History of at least once occurrence of asthma exacerbation within the prior 12 months
8. Currently being treated for asthma and no change in asthma therapy for the last 4 weeks (Eligible subjects include: subjects with use of short-acting beta-agonist, leukotriene receptor antagonist, theophylline, or cromolyn whose asthma is not well-controlled; subjects on low-dose ICS monotherapy whose asthma is not well-controlled; subjects on low-dose ICS and one or more adjunctive therapy whose asthma is either controlled or not well-controlled asthma; subjects on medium-dose ICS monotherapy whose asthma is either controlled or not well-controlled; and subjects on medium-dose ICS and one or more adjunctive therapy whose asthma is well-controlled)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of life-threatening asthma
2. Unstable asthma
3. Current use of high-dose ICS or ICS/LABA therapy to treat asthma symptoms
4. Concurrent respiratory disease: Current evidence of pneumonia, pneumothorax, atelectasis, pulmonary fibrotic disease, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or other severe respiratory abnormalities other than asthma.
5. Respiratory infection
6. Subjects with only exercise-induced asthma
7. An asthma exacerbation within the last 4 weeks or more than 4 separate exacerbations in the last 12 months
8. Hospitalization for asthma within 4 weeks or more than 2 hospitalizations within the last 12 months
9. Other current evidence of clinically significant uncontrolled disease/conditions of any body or organ system
10. Neurological or psychiatric disease or history of drug or alcohol abuse of a subject or his/her guardian which in the opinion of the investigator could interfere with the subject's proper completion of the protocol requirements
11. Participation in an interventional study or used any investigational drug for any disease state within the last 30 days
12. Any adverse reaction including immediate or delayed hypersensitivity to any beta-agonist, sympathomimetic drug, or any intranasal, inhaled, or systemic corticosteroid therapy, or vehicle contained within these medication
13. Severe hypersensitivity to cow's milk proteins
14. Administration of prescription or over the counter medications that would significantly affect the course of asthma, or interact with sympathomimetic amines such as: anti-IgE (omalizumab), anticonvulsants (barbiturates, hydantoins, carbamazepine); polycyclic antidepressants, beta-adrenergic blockers; phenothiazines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or diuretics
15. Potent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors within the last 4 weeks (e.g., ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconzole)
16. Affiliation with investigator's site, including a immediate family member of the participating investigator, sub-investigator, study coordinator, or employee of the participating investigator.
17. A Child in Care (CiC) is a child who has been placed under the control or protection of an agency, organisation, institution or entity by the courts, the government or a government body, acting in accordance with powers conferred on them by law or regulation.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of asthma
* Baseline lung function tests as determined by protocol
* Required and received treatment with inhaled corticosteroids within timeframe and doses specified in protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

* Has required treatment with any non-inhaled corticosteroid within previous 30 days, sensitivity to drugs specified in the protocol, or requires treatment with a beta-blockers
* Had cancer within previous 5 years or currently has any other significant disease or disorder as judged by the investigator
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Provided consent to participate in the study
* Male or female, 12 years of age and older
* Clinical diagnosis of asthma for at least 1 year prior to the randomization
* Clinic PEF of greater than or equal to 50% of predicted normal value
* Subject must be appropriately using one of the treatments for asthma listed in the protocol
* Subject must be able to complete the asthma control questionnaire, daily questions about asthma, and use a DISKUS inhaler
* Subject must have history of at least 1 asthma exacerbation including one of the following in the year prior to randomization:
* requiring treatment with systemic corticosteroids
* an asthma-related hospitalization

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of life threatening asthma defined for this protocol as asthma episode that required intubation and/or was associated with hypercapnea requiring non-invasive ventilatory support
* Concurrent respiratory disease other than asthma
* Current evidence of, or ever been told by a physician that they have chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
* Exercise induced asthma (as the only asthma-related diagnosis) not requiring daily asthma control medicine
* Presence of a bacterial or viral respiratory infection that is not resolved at randomization
* An asthma exacerbation requiring systemic corticosteriods within 4 weeks of randomization or more than 4 separate exacerbations in the 12 months preceding randomization
* More than 2 hospitalizations for treatment of asthma in the 12 months preceding randomization
* Subject must not meet unstable asthma severity criteria as listed in the protocol
* Potent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors within the last 4 weeks (e.g., ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconzole)
* Pregnancy, breast-feeding or planned pregnancy during the study
* A Child in Care (CiC) is a child who has been placed under the control or protection of an agency, organisation, institution or entity by the courts, the government or a government body, acting in accordance with powers conferred on them by law or regulation.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of moderate to severe persistent asthma for at least 6 months, according to GINA revised version 2002 guidelines (11):

  * Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) ³ 50% and £ 80% of the predicted normal;
  * Asthma not adequately controlled with the current therapies, defined as presence of daily asthma symptoms \> once a week and night-time asthma symptoms \> twice a month, and daily use of short-acting β2-agonists. These findings are to be based on recent medical history and are to be confirmed in the 2-week run-in period.
* Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids at a daily dose ≤ 1000 μg of BDP or equivalent. The daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids taken at visit 1 will be assessed taking into account the following ratios between the doses of the different steroids: fluticasone propionate : BDP CFC = 1 : 2; budesonide : BDP CFC = 4 : 5; flunisolide : BDP CFC = 1 : 1. The ratios between inhaled steroids are irrespective of the formulations (i.e. spray aerosol or powder) used. When BDP is given in the new extra-fine HFA-134a formulation (as QVAR®, 3M Healthcare), the ratio with BDP CFC is set as 2 : 5. Therefore, the maximum allowed daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids at study entry will be: budesonide 800 μg, fluticasone propionate 500 μg, flunisolide 1000 μg, BDP 1000 mg, BDP HFA extra-fine 400 μg.
* Positive response to the reversibility test in the screening visit, defined as an increase of at least 12% (or, alternatively, of 200mL) from baseline value in the measurement of FEV1 30 minutes following 2 puffs (2 ´ 100 µg) of inhaled salbutamol administered via pMDI. The reversibility test can be avoided in patients having a documented positive response in the previous 6 months.
* A co-operative attitude and ability to be trained to correctly use the metered dose inhalers and to complete the diary cards.
* Written informed consent obtained.
* At the end of the 2-week run-in period, the presence of daily asthma symptoms (of at least mild intensity) and nighttime asthma symptom (of at least mild intensity) \> once a week, as well as of daily use of relief salbutamol is to be confirmed by reviewing the diary cards for run-in.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to carry out pulmonary function testing;
* Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as defined by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute/World Health Organisation (NHLBI/WHO) Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines (30);
* History of near fatal asthma;
* Evidence of severe asthma exacerbation or symptomatic infection of the airways in the previous 8 weeks;
* Three or more courses of oral corticosteroids or hospitalisation due to asthma during the previous 6 months;
* Patients treated with long-acting β2-agonists, anticholinergics and antihistamines during the previous 2 weeks, with topical or intranasal corticosteroids and leukotriene antagonists during the previous 4 weeks;
* Patients who have changed their dose of inhaled corticosteroids during the previous 4 weeks, or treatment with inhaled corticosteroids at a daily dose \> 1000 μg of BDP or equivalent (except for extra-fine formulations, see inclusion criteria);
* Current smokers or recent (less than one year) ex-smokers, defined as smoking at least 10 cigarettes/day;
* History or current evidence of heart failure, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, severe hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias;
* Diabetes mellitus;
* Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) during the previous six months;
* Patients with an abnormal QTc interval value in the ECG test, defined as \> 450 msec in males or \> 470 msec in females;
* Other haemodynamic relevant rhythm disturbances (including atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation with ventricular response, bradycardia (≤ 55 bpm), evidence of atrial-ventricular (AV) block on ECG of more than 1st degree;
* Clinically significant or unstable concurrent diseases: uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, significant hepatic impairment, poorly controlled pulmonary (tuberculosis, active mycotic infection of the lung), gastrointestinal (e.g. active peptic ulcer), neurological or haematological autoimmune diseases;
* Cancer or any chronic diseases with prognosis \< 2 years;
* Pregnant or lactating females or females at risk of pregnancy, i.e. those not demonstrating adequate contraception (i.e. barrier methods, intrauterine devices, hormonal treatment or sterilization). A pregnancy test is to be carried out in women of a fertile age.
* History of alcohol or drug abuse;
* Patients treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants or beta-blockers as regular use;
* Allergy, sensitivity or intolerance to study drugs and/or study drug formulation ingredients;
* Patients unlikely to comply with the protocol or unable to understand the nature, scope and possible consequences of the study;
* Patients who received any investigational new drug within the last 12 weeks;
* Patients who have been previously enrolled in this study;
* At the end of the run-in period, patients will not be admitted to the treatment period in the case of an increase of PEFR (L/sec) measured at the clinics at the end of the run-in period ³ 15% in respect of values measured at the start of the run-in period;
* Patients with asthma exacerbations during the run-in period will also be excluded from the study.

Answer: B