Conditions: Asthma
Keywords: safety replicated cross-over design pharmacodynamics Fluticasone propionate/Salmeterol capsule-based inhaler COPD asthma multi dose dry powder inhaler bioavailability pharmacokinetics
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 60
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This is a comparative bioavailability study to compare the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of Fluticasone propionate and Salmeterol delivered in a capsule-based inhaler versus a multi-dose dry powder inhaler in patients with moderate asthma and in patients with moderate to severe Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Co-primary endpoints will be the area under the curve (AUCτ) measured for plasma Fluticasone propionate (pharmacokinetic) and the pharmacodynamic effects of Fluticasone propionate (weighted mean serum cortisol over 0-12h) on the last day of each 10 day study treatment period. Secondary endpoints will include the following pharmacokinetic parameters for both fluticasone propionate and salmeterol: AUClast, AUC(0-t), Cmax, Cmin, tmax, λz, and t1/2 as well as the pharmacodynamic effects of salmeterol (pulse rate, blood pressure, electrocardiogram \[ECG\], potassium and glucose) and Fluticasone propionate (urine cortisol levels). Safety (adverse events and laboratory abnormalities) will also be assessed as a secondary endpoint.

The study is a randomised, double blind, double dummy, four-period cross-over study. Approximately 60 asthma or COPD patients will be randomised. Patients meeting eligibility criteria will receive Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol 250/50mcg bid, from a capsule-based inhaler and from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler for a period of 10 days each in a randomised order. All patients will receive treatment from each device twice. To maintain the double blind, each patient will receive active treatment and placebo at the same time from two separate devices.

Detailed description:
BACKGROUND This study will evaluate the comparative bioavailability of SERETIDE delivered via the established multi-dose powder inhaler ie DISKUS/Accuhaler and a new fluticasone propionate/salmeterol capsule-based inhaler. Both formulations will be delivered at the 250/50mcg (micrograms) twice daily (bid) dose strength.

STUDY RATIONALE The fluticasone propionate/salmeterol capsule-based inhaler has been developed for administration in both asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Therefore, both disease populations are included in this study. The study will assess the performance of the two devices with respect to systemic exposure and pharmacodynamic effects. A replicated cross-over design (four period) was chosen. This design reduces subject numbers by about 50% compared to a standard 2-period cross-over design.

OBJECTIVES Primary Objective

-To compare the performance of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol administered in a capsule-based inhaler with the multi-dose dry powder inhaler by evaluating fluticasone propionate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic endpoints.

Secondary Objectives

* To compare the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the salmeterol component of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol after administration from a capsule-based inhaler and from the multi-dose dry powder inhaler
* To compare the safety and tolerability of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol after administration in a capsule-based inhaler with the multi-dose dry powder inhaler.

ENDPOINTS Primary Endpoints

* Pharmacokinetic endpoint: AUCτ for fluticasone propionate (area under the plasma fluticasone propionate concentration-time curve over dosing interval) on the last day of each study treatment period (Day 10).
* Pharmacodynamic endpoint: Weighted mean serum cortisol over 12h on the last day of each treatment period (Day 10).

Secondary Endpoints

* Pharmacokinetic parameters (AUClast, AUC(0-t), Cmax, Cmin, tmax, λz, and t1/2 for fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) on the last day of each treatment period (Day 10).
* Pharmacodynamic parameters:
* Fluticasone propionate: Urine cortisol excretion (0-24h) and serum cortisol Cmin on the last day (Day 10) of each treatment period,
* Salmeterol: pharmacodynamic parameters for pulse rate, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), plasma potassium and glucose (weighted mean 0-12h and Cmax/Cmin) on the last day (Day 10) of each treatment period
* Safety and tolerability: Incidence of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities

STUDY DESIGN This is a randomised, four-period cross-over, double-blind, double-dummy study. Patients meeting eligibility criteria will receive fluticasone propionate/salmeterol 250/50 mcg bid from a capsule-based inhaler and from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler for 10 days per each treatment period in a randomised order. To maintain the double blind, each patient will receive both active treatment and placebo at the same time from two separate devices. Patients already on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) monotherapy or combination treatment prior to randomization will stop their existing treatment and switch to treatment provided by the study-provided devices.

The study has been designed to compare the administration of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from two inhalation devices, a capsule-based inhaler and a multi-dose dry powder inhaler. Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol administered via the multi-dose dry powder inhaler will be the reference product. Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol is being developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) as a capsule-based inhaler for administration for the treatment of both asthma and COPD.

TREATMENT ASSIGNMENT Subjects will be assigned to one of two treatment sequences in accordance with the randomisation schedule Sequence ABBA (Periods 1 to 4): A: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler; B: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a capsule-based inhaler; B: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a capsule-based inhaler; A: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler Sequence BAAB (Periods 1 to 4): B: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a capsule-based inhaler; A: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler; A: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a multi-dose dry powder inhaler; B: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol from a capsule-based inhaler.

Arms:
arm 1: Fluticasone propionate (250 micrograms \[ug\])/Salmeterol (50 ug) combination delivered in a capsule-based inhaler arm 2: Fluticasone propionate (250 ug)/Salmeterol (50 ug) combination delivered in a multi-dose dry powder inhaler arm 3: Placebo delivered in a capsule-based inhaler arm 4: Placebo delivered in a multi-dose dry powder inhaler

Interventions: intervention 1: SERETIDE Rotacaps intervention 2: SERETIDE Diskus
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: The study consists of four treatment periods of 10 +/- 1 days each in a cross-over fashion. Each patient will be administered SERETIDE delivered via a capsule-based inhaler (Rotacaps) twice for two treatment periods and a placebo delivered via a capsule-based inhaler (Rotacaps) twice for two treatment periods in a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy fashion. Dosing is twice daily in the morning and evening over the duration of each treatment period. intervention 2: The study consists of four treatment periods of 10 +/- 1 days each in a cross-over fashion. Each patient will be administered SERETIDE delivered via a multi-dose dry powder inhaler (Diskus) twice for two treatment periods and a placebo delivered via a multi-dose dry powder inhaler (Diskus) twice for two treatment periods in a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy fashion. Dosing is twice daily in the morning and evening over the duration of each treatment period.

Protocol document: