Cough is the most common presenting symptom to family physician. Chronic Cough affects approximately 10-12% of the general population and is one of the commonest reasons for referral to secondary care. Unfortunately, there are no licensed treatments for this debilitating condition, which is associated with a poor quality of life, affecting the social, physical and psychological well-being of patients. The aim of this single-centre proof-of-concept study is to investigate whether mepolizumab reduces objective cough frequency in patients with eosinophilic asthma and non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis presenting with chronic cough. Secondary outcomes including the effects on quality of life, the intensity of irritant sensations, airway hyper-reactivity and inflammatory cells and their progenitors will also be evaluated. The investigators hypothesize that in patients with asthma and non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophils are involved in sensitizing airway nerves and thereby increasing spontaneous objective coughs. The investigators predict that treatment with mepolizumab will reduce airway eosinophilia in patients with chronic cough due to eosinophilic asthma and non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, thereby causing a reduction in objective cough frequency.
This is a 9-visit randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group Phase IV study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of mepolizumab for the treatment of refractory chronic cough in patients with eosinophilic airway disease. Patients will be recruited from secondary care clinics. Patient eligibility will be assessed against the study inclusion/exclusion criteria and patients will undergo informed consent in the research centre. Subjects who provide informed consent and are enrolled in the study will undergo screening procedures. The study will consist of a Mepolizumab treatment arm and placebo arm (normal saline). Fifteen subjects will be randomly assigned to the treatment arm and fifteen subjects will be randomly assigned to the placebo arm in a 1:1 ratio. Following screening and randomization, subjects will under an 12-week treatment period during which they will receive 4 doses of the study drug at days 0, 28, 56, and 84. The primary study outcomes will be measured at week 14 week, 2 weeks following the treatment period. At Visit 1 (screening), subjects will undergo screening procedures: complete medical history, physical examination, methacholine challenge, spirometry, sputum induction, and blood sampling. Subjects will complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire and modified Borg Scale. At Visit 2, subjects will be fitted with a 24-hour cough monitor. At Visit 3, 24-hour cough monitors will be removed and subjects will undergo spirometry, blood sampling and sputum induction. Subjects will complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, modified Borg Scale, and Cough Severity Visual Analogue Scale. The first dose of the study drug will be administered in the clinical research facility by a study physician. At Visit 4, subjects will undergo spirometry and blood sampling and complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, modified Borg Scale, and Cough Severity Visual Analogue Scale. The second dose of the study drug will be administered in the clinical research facility by a study physician. At Visit 5, the third dose of the study drug will be administered in the clinical research facility by a study physician. Subjects will be fitted with a 24-hour cough monitor. At Visit 6, 24-hour cough monitors will be removed and subjects will undergo spirometry, sputum induction and blood sampling and complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, modified Borg Scale, and Cough Severity Visual Analogue Scale. At Visit 7, subjects will undergo spirometry and blood sampling and complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, modified Borg Scale, and Cough Severity Visual Analogue Scale. The fourth dose of the study drug will be administered in the clinical research facility by a study physician. At Visit 8, subjects will be fitted with a 24-hour cough monitor. At Visit 9, the 24-hour cough monitors will be removed and subjects will undergo spirometry, methacholine challenge, sputum induction, and blood sampling. Subjects will complete the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, modified Borg Scale, and Cough Severity Visual Analogue Scale. All study procedures will be performed according to local standard operating procedures and be conducted by trained and experienced staff with supervision by medical doctors. Study physicians will administer all study drug injections. Safety will be assessed throughout the study by monitoring for adverse events and serious adverse events.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
46
Mepolizumab subcutaneous injection administered 4 times days 0, 28, 56 and 84 during 12 week treatment period.
Placebo subcutaneous injection administered 4 times days 0, 28, 56 and 84 during 12 week treatment period.
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Change From Baseline in 24-hour Cough Frequency at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in 24-hour cough frequency (coughs/hour) measured by the VitaloJAK cough monitor at 14 weeks.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline in Awake Cough Frequency at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in awake cough frequency (coughs/hour) measured by the VitaloJAK cough monitor at 8 weeks.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline in Awake Cough Frequency at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in awake cough frequency (coughs/hour) at 14 weeks.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline in Sleep Cough Frequency at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in sleep cough frequency (coughs/hour) measured by the VitaloJAK cough monitor at 8 weeks.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline in Sleep Cough Frequency at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in sleep cough frequency (coughs/hour) measured by the VitaloJAK cough monitor at 14 weeks.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline in Cough Severity at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in cough severity measured on the 100-mm visual analogue scale at 8 weeks. Scale ranges from 0 mm (no cough) to 100 mm (worst possible cough). Higher scores reflect worse cough severity.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline in Cough Severity at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in cough severity measured on the 100-mm visual analogue scale at 14 weeks. Scale ranges from 0 mm (no cough) to 100 mm (worst possible cough). Higher scores reflect worse cough severity.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline on the Leicester Cough Questionnaire at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in cough quality of life measured by the Leicester Cough Questionnaire at 8 weeks. Total score ranges from 3 to 21, with higher scores indicating better cough quality of life.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline on the Leicester Cough Questionnaire at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in cough quality of life measured by the Leicester Cough Questionnaire at 14 weeks. Total score ranges from 3 to 21, with higher scores indicating better cough quality of life.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline in Blood Eosinophils at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in blood eosinophils at 8 weeks.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline in Blood Eosinophils at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in blood eosinophils at 14 weeks.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Change From Baseline in Sputum Eosinophils at 8 Weeks
Change from baseline in sputum eosinophils (%) at 8 weeks.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Change From Baseline in Sputum Eosinophils at 14 Weeks
Change from baseline in sputum eosinophils (%) at 14 weeks.
Time frame: 14 weeks
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