The Effect of Indacaterol on Exercise Endurance in Patients With Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Inclusion Criteria: * Male and female adults aged ≥ 40 years, who have signed an informed consent form prior to initiation of any study-related procedure. * Co-operative outpatients with a diagnosis of moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as classified by the GOLD Guidelines (2006), and: * Smoking history of at least 20 pack years. * Post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) \< 80% and ≥ 30% of the predicted normal value. * Post-bronchodilator FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) \< 70%. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women. * Women of child-bearing potential. * Patients who have been hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation in the 6 weeks prior to screening or during the run-in period. * Patients requiring oxygen therapy or who experience oxygen desaturation to \< 80% during cycle exercise on room air. * Patients with a Wmax value \< 20 W (as determined by the incremental cycle endurance test) at screening. * Patients who have had a respiratory tract infection within 6 weeks prior to screening. * Patients with contra-indications of cardiopulmonary exercise testing. * Patients with concomitant pulmonary disease. * Patients with a history (up to and including the screening visit) of asthma. * Patients with diabetes Type I or uncontrolled diabetes Type II. * Any patient with lung cancer or a history of lung cancer. * Any patient with active cancer or a history of cancer with less than 5 years disease free survival time. * Patients with a history of long QT syndrome or whose QTc interval (Bazett's) measured at the collection of informed consent visit (Visit 1) or randomization is prolonged. * Patients who have been vaccinated with live attenuated vaccines within 30 days prior to screening or during the run-in period. * Patients unable to successfully use a dry powder inhaler device, metered dose inhaler (MDI), or perform spirometry measurements. Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria applied to the study.