Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

The safety population for the ARIDOL bronchial challenge test consisted of 1,082 subjects (577 females and 505 males) including patients with asthma, symptoms suggestive of asthma, and healthy individuals from 6 to 83 years of age who participated in the two clinical trials (Studies 1 and 2). The racial distribution of subjects was 84% Caucasian, 5% Asian, 4% Black, and 7% Other. Pediatric and adolescents patients comprised 23% of the total study population with 118 pediatric patients aged 6-11 years and 128 adolescents aged 12-17 years.

Adverse reactions were reported at the time of the testing procedure and for one day thereafter. No serious adverse reactions were reported following bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL in either trial.

Five adult subjects (0.6%) discontinued from the studies within a day following bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL because of cough, decreased lung function, feeling jittery, sore throat, and throat irritation. One adult subject (0.3%) discontinued following the methacholine bronchial challenge test because of dizziness. One pediatric subject (0.4%) discontinued from the studies within a day following bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL because of retching.

Table 2 displays the combined common adverse reactions (≥1%) within a day after bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL or methacholine in the overall population for Studies 1 and 2.

The maximum reduction in FEV1 following bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL was 46%, compared to 54% for exercise testing and 67% for the methacholine challenge. The incidences in decreases in FEV1 ≥30% and ≥60% following ARIDOL, methacholine, and exercise challenges for Studies 1 and 2 is shown in Table 3.

There were no differences in the incidence of adverse reactions based on gender or race. The clinical trials did not include sufficient numbers of subjects 65 years of age and older to determine whether they respond differently compared to subjects below 65 years of age.

  
Pediatric Patients Aged 6 to 17 Years: Overall, the types and severities of adverse reactions in children were similar to those observed in the adult population. As in the adult population, the adverse reactions of pharyngolaryngeal pain, nausea, and headache were the more common with incidences of 4%, 3%, and 3%, respectively. There were no major differences in the types of adverse reactions observed in children 6-11 years of age compared to adolescents 12-17 years old.

The decrease in FEV1 in pediatric patients and adolescents who received the ARIDOL bronchial challenge test was similar to that of the adult population with 5%, 15% and 9% of pediatric patients who had bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL, methacholine and exercise, respectively, experiencing reduction in FEV1 ≥30%. No patient who had bronchial challenge testing with ARIDOL or exercise had a decrease in FEV1 ≥60%, whereas, one adolescent patient (aged 12 years) who received methacholine had a decrease in FEV1 ≥60%.