The purpose of this study was to determine whether potentiating the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) with QBW251 in subjects with COPD would be efficacious with regards to reducing lung and systemic inflammation and bacterial colonization as potential drivers of airway obstruction, airway destruction, remodeling and exacerbations. Furthermore, this study provided supportive data to investigate the relationship of COPD phenotype and the response in small airway structure, function, mucus load and spirometry indices as well as in improvement of overall COPD symptoms and quality of life.
This was a randomized, subject and investigator blinded, parallel-group, placebo controlled study investigating the mode of action (MoA) and preliminary efficacy and safety of QBW251 administered orally twice daily (b.i.d.) for 12 weeks in subjects with moderate to severe COPD (GOLD 2-3). The study consisted of the following periods: Screening, Baseline / Day 1, Treatment , and End of the Study followed by an additional post-treatment safety phone call. The total duration for each subject in the study is up to approximately 18 weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
54
Novartis Investigative Site
Feldbach, Austria
Novartis Investigative Site
Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Berlin, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Berlin, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Frankfurt, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Mainz, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Witten, Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Basel, Switzerland
Novartis Investigative Site
Sankt Gallen, Switzerland
Novartis Investigative Site
Zurich, Switzerland
...and 2 more locations
Change From Baseline in Fibrinogen Plasma Concentrations After 12 Weeks of Treatment
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on fibrinogen. The least-squares means for change from baseline in fibrinogen plasma concentrations after 12 weeks visits for each individual dose group were obtained from a linear mixed effects model for repeated measures (MMRM). A MMRM was fitted to the changes from baseline in fibrinogen for all time points until Day 84. A decrease in fibrinogen plasma concentration indicates improvement.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in Total Bacteria Load of log10 Colony Forming Units (CFU) After 12 Weeks of Treatment
Change from baseline in total bacteria load of colony forming units of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in sputum. A decrease in airway bacterial colonization as detected in the sputum is considered improvement.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Questionnaire After 12 Weeks of Treatment
The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a short instrument which was used to quantify the symptom burden of COPD and disease severity of participants in this study. The CAT consists of 8 items, each presented as a semantic 6-point differential scale (0-5), providing a total range from 0 to 40. A higher score indicates a worse health status.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in Euro Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-3 Level (EQ-5D-3L) Questionnaire After 12 Weeks of Treatment
The EQ-5D-3L questionnaire is a general health status and health utility measure which captures 5 dimensions of health state: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression and visual analog has a scale 0 to 100 (0=worst imaginable health state, 100=best imaginable health state).
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Total and Domain Scores After 12 Weeks of Treatment
The St. George's Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) was used to provide the health status measurements. The SGRQ contains 50 items divided into two parts covering three aspects of health related to COPD: Part I covers "Symptoms", Part II covers "Activity" and "Impacts". A score is calculated for each of these three subscales including the "Total" score. In each case the lowest possible value is zero and the highest 100. Higher values correspond to greater impairment of health status.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire (CASA-Q) After 12 Weeks of Treatment
The CASA-Q is a validated questionnaire used to measure cough and sputum production, and their impact in patients with COPD and/or chronic bronchitis. There are only domain scores and no overall score. The scores in each domain range from 0 to 100, with lower scores indicating more severe symptoms or a higher impact.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Pre-dose Trough Concentration (Ctrough) of QBW251
Pharmacokinetic blood samples were collected and evaluated in all participants exposed to QBW251. QBW251 was analyzed by a validated Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry. Concentration below the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was reported as zero.
Time frame: Day 1, Day 28, Day 56 and Day 84
Change From Baseline in Trough FEV1 After 12 Weeks of Treatment
FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in the first second of a forced exhalation, measured through spirometry testing. The least-squares means for change from baseline in FEV1 to assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks were obtained from a linear mixed effects model for repeated measures (MMRM). A positive change from baseline in pre-dose FEV1 is considered a favourable outcome.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in FVC After 12 Weeks of Treatment
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on spirometry (Forced Vital Capacity). Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after taking the deepest breath possible.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12
Change From Baseline in FEV1/FVC After 12 Weeks of Treatment
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on spirometry. FEV1/FVC is the percent of a person's vital capacity that they are able to expire in the first second of forced expiration (FEV1) to the full, forced vital capacity (FVC).
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Maximum Observed Plasma Concentrations (Cmax) of QBW251 in a Subset of Patient Population
Cmax is the maximum (peak) observed plasma concentration of QBW251 after dose administration. QBW251 was analyzed by a validated Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry. Concentration below the lower limit of quantification was reported as zero. Serial plasma PK concentrations were sampled on Day 1 and Day 28 up to 8 hours post dose in a subset of the patient population.
Time frame: Pre dose, Post dose (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hours) at Day 1 and Day 28.
Maximum Observed Plasma Concentrations (Cmax) of QBW251
Cmax is the maximum (peak) observed plasma concentration of QBW251 after dose administration. QBW251 was analyzed by a validated Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry. Concentration below the lower limit of quantification was reported as zero. On Day 56 and Day 84 pre-dose and 3 hour post dose sparse samples were collected from all participants.
Time frame: Post-dose (3 hours) at Day 56 and Day 84.
Area Under Plasma Concentration-time Curve From Time Zero to the Last Measurable Concentration Sampling Time (AUClast) of QBW251
Pharmacokinetic blood samples were collected and evaluated in all participants exposed to QBW251. QBW251 was analyzed by a validated Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry. Concentration below the lower limit of quantification was reported as zero. AUClast is the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to the time of last quantifiable concentration (tlast) of QBW251.
Time frame: Pre dose, Post dose (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hours) at Day 1 and Day 28
On-treatment Analysis of Time to First COPD Exacerbation Using Cox Regression Model
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on COPD exacerbations, exacerbations defined by EXACT-PRO questionnaire. The protocol defined that the time-to-event analyses were to be carried out only upon sufficient number of exacerbation events occur during the study to estimate the median in either of the treatment groups.
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Proportion of Patients (Percentage) With Exacerbations
The EXACT-PRO is a validated 14-item electronic questionnaire designed to detect the frequency, severity, and duration of exacerbations in participants with COPD. Minimum score is 0 and Maximum score is 40 (higher scores indicate worsening indicative of an exacerbation). EXACT-PRO-defined exacerbations are defined as a persistent increase from baseline in total EXACT-PRO score of ≥9 points for 3 days or ≥12 points for 2 days.
Time frame: From first dose of study treatment until last dose of study treatment plus 7 days, up to a maximum duration of 99 days
Annualized Rate of EXACT-PRO-defined Exacerbations
The Exacerbations of COPD Tool-Patient Reported Outcome (EXACT-PRO) is a validated 14-item electronic questionnaire designed to detect the frequency, severity, and duration of exacerbations in participants with COPD. Minimum score is 0 and Maximum score is 40 (higher scores indicate worsening indicative of an exacerbation). EXACT-PRO-defined exacerbations are defined as a persistent increase from baseline in total EXACT-PRO score of ≥9 points for 3 days or ≥12 points for 2 days. Annualized rate of exacerbations was analyzed using a generalized linear model assuming a negative binomial distribution.
Time frame: From first dose of study treatment until last dose of study treatment plus 7 days, up to a maximum duration of 99 days
Change From Baseline in Airway Wall and Lumen
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on airway structure and function, measured by High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT).
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
Change From Baseline in Percent Global and Regional Air Trapping After 12 Weeks of Treatment
To assess the effect of QBW251 compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment on airway structure and functions, measured by High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT). Air trapping is defined as the percentage of lung voxels with mean attenuation below -856 Hounsfield units (HU).
Time frame: Baseline, week 12.
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