Adult and Adolescent Patients Aged 12 Years and Older

The efficacy and safety of VERAMYST Nasal Spray was evaluated in 5 randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trials of 2 to 4 weeks’ duration in adult and adolescent patients aged 12 years and older with symptoms of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis. The 5 clinical trials included one 2-week dose-ranging trial in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, three 2-week confirmatory efficacy trials in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, and one 4-week efficacy trial in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. These trials included 1,829 patients (697 males and 1,132 females). About 75% of patients were Caucasian, and the mean age was 36 years. Of these patients, 722 received VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg once daily administered as 2 sprays in each nostril. 

Assessment of efficacy was based on total nasal symptom score (TNSS). TNSS is calculated as the sum of the patients’ scoring of the 4 individual nasal symptoms (rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, and nasal itching) on a 0 to 3 categorical severity scale (0 = absent, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe) as reflective(rTNSS) or instantaneous (iTNSS). rTNSS required the patients to record symptom severity over the previous 12 hours; iTNSS required patients to record symptom severity at the time immediately prior to the next dose. Morning and evening rTNSS scores were averaged over the treatment period and the difference from placebo in the change from baseline rTNSS was the primary efficacy endpoint. The morning iTNSS (AM iTNSS) reflects the TNSS at the end of the 24-hour dosing interval and is an indication of whether the effect was maintained over the 24-hour dosing interval.

Additional secondary efficacy variables were assessed, including the total ocular symptom score (TOSS) and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ). TOSS is calculated as the sum of the patients’ scoring of the 3 individual ocular symptoms (itching/burning, tearing/watering, and redness) on a 0 to 3 categorical severity scale (0 = absent, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe) as reflective (rTOSS) or instantaneous scores (iTOSS). To assess efficacy, rTOSS and AM iTOSS were evaluated as described above for the TNSS. Patients’ perceptions of disease-specific quality of life were evaluated through use of the RQLQ, which assesses the impact of allergic rhinitis treatment through 28 items in 7 domains (activities, sleep, non-nose/eye symptoms, practical problems, nasal symptoms, eye symptoms, and emotional) on a 7-point scale where 0 = no impairment and 6 = maximum impairment. An overall RQLQ score is calculated from the mean of all items in the instrument. An absolute difference of ≥0.5 in mean change from baseline over placebo is considered the minimally important difference (MID) for the RQLQ.

Dose-Ranging Trial

The dose-ranging trial was a 2-week trial that evaluated the efficacy of 4 dosages of fluticasone furoate nasal spray (440, 220, 110, and 55 mcg) in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. In this trial, each of the 4 dosages of fluticasone furoate nasal spray demonstrated greater decreases in the rTNSS than placebo, and the difference was statistically significant (Table 3).

Each of the 4 dosages of fluticasone furoate nasal spray also demonstrated greater decreases in the AM iTNSS than placebo, and the difference between each of the 4 fluticasone furoate treatment groups and placebo was statistically significant, indicating that the effect was maintained over the 24-hour dosing interval.

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis Trials

Three clinical trials were designed to evaluate the efficacy of VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg once daily compared with placebo in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis over a 2-week treatment period. In all 3 trials, VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg demonstrated a greater decrease from baseline in the rTNSS and AM iTNSS than placebo, and the difference from placebo was statistically significant. In terms of ocular symptoms, in all 3 seasonal allergic rhinitis trials, VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg demonstrated a greater decrease from baseline in the rTOSS than placebo and the difference from placebo was statistically significant. For the RQLQ in all 3 seasonal allergic rhinitis trials, VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg demonstrated greater decrease from baseline in the overall RQLQ than placebo, and the difference from placebo was statistically significant. The difference in the overall RQLQ score mean change from baseline between the groups treated with VERAMYST Nasal Spray and placebo ranged from -0.60 to -0.70 in the 3 trials, meeting the minimally important difference criterion. Table 4 displays the efficacy results from a representative trial in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis Trials

One clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg once daily compared with placebo in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis over a 4-week treatment period. VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg demonstrated a greater decrease from baseline in the rTNSS and AM iTNSS than placebo, and the difference from placebo was statistically significant. Similar to patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, the improvement of nasal symptoms with VERAMYST Nasal Spray in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis persisted for a full 24 hours, as evaluated by AM iTNSS immediately prior to the next dose. However, unlike the trials in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who were treated with VERAMYST Nasal Spray 110 mcg did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement from baseline in rTOSS or in disease-specific quality of life as measured by the RQLQ compared with placebo. In addition, the overall RQLQ score mean change from baseline difference between the group treated with VERAMYST Nasal Spray and the placebo group was -0.23, which did not meet the minimally important difference of ≥0.5. Table 4 displays the efficacy results from the clinical trial in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis.

Onset of action was evaluated by frequent instantaneous TNSS assessments after the first dose in the clinical trials in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. Onset of action was generally observed within 24 hours in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. In patients with perennial rhinitis, onset of action was observed after 4 days of treatment. Continued improvement in symptoms was observed over approximately 1 and 3 weeks in patients with seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, respectively. 

Pediatric Patients Aged 2 to 11 Years

The efficacy and safety of VERAMYST Nasal Spray were evaluated in 1,112 children (633 boys and 479 girls), mean age of 8 years with seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis in 2 controlled clinical trials. The pediatric patients were treated with VERAMYST Nasal Spray 55 or 110 mcg once daily for 2 to 12 weeks (n = 369 for each dose). The trials were similar in design to the trials conducted in adolescents and adults; however, the efficacy determination was made from patient- or parent/guardian-reported TNSS for children aged 6 to <12 years. Children treated with VERAMYST Nasal Spray generally exhibited greater decreases in nasal symptoms than placebo-treated patients. In seasonal allergic rhinitis, the difference in rTNSS was statistically significant only for the 110-mcg dose. In perennial allergic rhinitis, the difference in rTNSS was statistically significant only for the 55-mcg dose. Changes in rTOSS in the seasonal allergic rhinitis trial were not statistically significant compared with placebo for either dose. rTOSS was not assessed in the perennial allergic rhinitis trial. Table 5 displays the efficacy results from the clinical trials in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergic rhinitis in children aged 6 to <12 years. Efficacy in children aged 2 to <6 years was supported by a numerical decrease in the rTNSS.