Conditions: Asthma
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 345
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study was to assess the clinical effect of QAW039 in non-atopic asthmatics taking low dose Inhaled Corticosteroid (ICS) as background therapy.

Detailed description:
This was a multi-centre, randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind, 3-arm study designed to compare the efficacy and safety of a once daily dose of QAW039 with placebo in non-atopic and atopic asthmatics both inadequately controlled despite receiving a low dose ICS background therapy, over a 12 week treatment period. Efficacy and safety of a once daily dose of QAW039 was also compared with an increased dose of ICS in atopic asthmatics taking low dose ICS as background therapy.

Arms:
arm 1: QAW039 450 mg (3 capsules of QAW039 150 mg) qd combined with background ICS (100 μg fluticasone, bid). Non-atopic patients randomized in ratio of approximately 1:1. arm 2: Placebo to QAW039 (3 capsules of Placebo of QAW039 150 mg) combined with background ICS (100 μg fluticasone, bid). Non-atopic randomized in ratio of approximately 1:1. arm 3: QAW039 450 mg (3 capsules of QAW039 150 mg) qd combined with background ICS (100 μg fluticasone, bid). Atopic patients randomized in a ratio of approximate 1:1:1 arm 4: Placebo to QAW039 (3 capsules of Placebo of QAW039 150 mg) combined with 150 μg ICS and with background ICS (100 μg fluticasone, bid). As a consequence total ICS was 250 μg fluticasone bid. Atopic patients randomized in ratio of approximately 1:1:1 arm 5: Placebo to QAW039 (3 capsules of Placebo of QAW039 150 mg) combined with background ICS (100 μg fluticasone, bid). Atopic patients andomized in ratio of approximately 1:1:1

Interventions: intervention 1: QAW039 intervention 2: Placebo QAW039 intervention 3: Fluticasone 250 mcg intervention 4: Fluticasone 100 mcg
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: QAW039 supplied as hard gelatin capsule in unit dose strength of 150 mg. Patient took 450 mg once daily (3 capsules taken with food in the morning) for the approximate period of the study (12 weeks) intervention 2: Matching placebo for QAW039 supplied as hard gelatin capsule were identical in appearance to their active counterparts. Patients took 3 QAW039 matching placebo capsules once a day ( taken with food in the morning) for the approximate period of the study (12 weeks) intervention 3: Fluticasone was supplied in inhalers with dose strength of 250 mcg. Patients took 250 mcg bid (morning and evening approximately 12 hours between doses) for a total dose of 500 mcg daily for the approximate period of the study (12 weeks). intervention 4: Background therapy - fluticasone was supplied in inhalers with dose strength of 100 mcg. All patients in the study other than the Atopic Fluticasone 150 mcg arm were given the 100 mcg dose strength inhalers and took fluticasone 100 mcg bid (taken morning and evening with approximately 12 hours between doses) as background therapy for the approximate period of the study (12 weeks).

Protocol document: