Active clinical trials for "Asthma"

Viral infections are the main cause of asthma attacks in preschoolers, an age group with the highest rate of emergency visits due to asthma. While high doses of inhaled or oral corticosteroids provide benefits, these have been associated with adverse outcomes. Most asthmatic children have lower blood levels of vitamin D compared to non-asthmatic children. Low vitamin D level has been linked to more frequent and more severe asthma attacks as well as with higher dose requirement of inhaled corticosteroid. Recent studies show that vitamin D supplements can reduce the number of asthma attacks triggered by viral infections in children. Unfortunately, most people forget to take vitamin D every day during the fall and winter season as recommended in Canada. A solution is to give a vitamin D bolus by mouth. This has been shown to safely and effectively increase vitamin D levels in children. The investigators hypothesise that a vitamin D bolus given in clinic will sufficiently increase the blood level of vitamin D to prevent the expected winter decline in vitamin D, compared with placebo in preschool-aged children with asthma. This six-month pilot randomized controlled trial aims to: (1) show that a vitamin D bolus is superior to placebo in raising vitamin D levels; (2) record the number of asthma attacks and viral infections in enrolled participants; and (3) identify problems that may call for protocol changes.

This randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study will evaluate the efficacy of lebrikizumab compared with placebo, as measured by the ability of participants to achieve lower daily doses of OCS, among those with severe corticosteroid-dependent asthma. Prednisone/prednisolone will be the OCS therapy prescribed. Participants will be randomized to receive lebrikizumab or matching placebo for 44 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled (DBPC) period. Those who complete the 44-week period may continue into a 32-week active treatment extension (ATE) period, during which all participants will receive lebrikizumab treatment. Following completion of the ATE period, participants who have both tolerated and derived benefit from treatment with lebrikizumab may continue their lebrikizumab treatment into a long-term extension (LTE) period. Participants will transition to 24 weeks of safety follow-up upon discontinuation of study drug.

Asthma is a common condition which produces a significant workload for general practice, hospital outpatient clinics and inpatient admissions. Asthma is caused by inflammation of the airways which irritates the muscles around the airways causing them to constrict. The mainstay of asthma treatment is inhaled steroids. If the patients' symptoms are still not adequately controlled, then a long-acting beta agonist (LABA) inhaler which relaxes the muscles in the airways and opens it up is frequently added to the inhaled steroids. Despite this, a substantial proportion of asthmatic patients still do not achieve adequate control of their symptoms. Recent studies have shown when an alternative inhaler called a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) is added to a LABA - it reduced the number of asthma exacerbations (flare-ups) and improved airway narrowing. The mannitol challenge is a test of airway 'twitchiness', an important feature of asthma. There have been no previous studies assessing the combined effects LABA and LAMA inhalers on mannitol challenge. The mannitol challenge is particularly relevant as it mimics stimuli encountered in real life which provoke an asthma attack. The investigators propose to directly compare indacaterol, a new once-daily LABA with indacaterol plus tiotropium, a once-daily LAMA, as add-on treatment to inhaled steroids in persistent asthmatics using the mannitol challenge. The investigators hope that this study will help us understand how the combination of a LABA and LAMA might help protect against flare-ups.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of 3 dose levels of MEDI9929 (AMG 157) on asthma exacerbations in adult subjects with inadequately controlled, severe asthma.

A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-blind, Parallel Group, Placebo Controlled, Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Tralokinumab in Reducing Oral Corticosteroid dependent Asthma.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether it is safe to administer Grass-SPIRE to subjects suffering from both grass allergy and asthma

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate at a dosage of 80 or 160 mcg/day delivered via a Breath-Actuated Inhaler (BAI); or a matching BAI placebo, in a 1:1:1 ratio after a 14- to 21-day run-in period. Participants and investigators will remain blinded to randomized treatment assignment during the study

Despite the advances in pharmacological therapy for asthma, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in alternative therapies for asthma. Treatments and therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, homeopathy, hypnosis and Buteyko and other breathing techniques have been used as complementary therapies however little evidence exists behind such practices. Data from systemic reviews and randomized control trials provide evidence of benefit although additional confirmation is still needed. Among the most common techniques are the Buteyko breathing exercises that aim to reduce minute ventilation by instruct asthmatics patients to breathe shallowly and slowly through the nose. The second common technique is the Pranayama, or yoga breathing exercises which emphasizes deep respirations and exhalation prolongation. Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of breathing exercises as a complementary therapy for asthma.

This is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled, parallel-group study to determine the efficacy and safety of nebulized fluticasone propionate 1mg twice daily compared with oral prednisone administered for 7 days to Chinese pediatric and adolescent subjects (aged 4 to 16 years) with an acute exacerbation of asthma

This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study of mepolizumab in comparison with placebo in reducing Oral Corticosteroid (OCS) use in subjects with severe refractory asthma. The study consists of four phases, OCS Optimisation Phase (Week -8 to Week 0), and the double-blind treatment period divided into an Induction Phase (Week 0 to Week 4), OCS Reduction Phase (Week 5 upto Week 20) followed by Maintenance Phase (Week 20 to Week 24). During the Optimisation Phase the investigator will adjust the OCS (prednisone/prednisolone) dose according to the Optimisation titration schedule based on a review of Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)-5 score and exacerbation. In the Induction Phase subjects will be randomized 1:1 (approximately 60 per arm) to receive either mepolizumab (100 mg) administered subcutaneously (SC) or placebo every 4 weeks in addition to their existing maintenance asthma therapy with the lowest dose of OCS from Optimisation Phase. The Induction Phase will allow sufficient time for those subjects randomised to the mepolizumab arm to achieve a decrease in the eosinophilic inflammation prior to the reduction in OCS. During the Reduction Phase, subjects will continue receiving 100 mg mepolizumab/placebo every 4 weeks and the OCS dose reduction will be done every 4 weeks using the reduction titration schedule based on a review of eDiary parameters recorded by the subject, the subjects' exacerbation history, and a review of the signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. In the Maintenance Phase subjects will be maintained without any further OCS dose adjustment. Subjects who complete the 24 week double-blind period and meet the eligibility criteria, will be offered the opportunity to participate in an open label extension (OLE) study otherwise they will return for a Follow-up Visit 12 weeks after their last dose of double blind study treatment. At each clinic visit, adverse events, safety labs, spirometery parameters and exacerbations will be assessed. The pharmacokinetic samples will be collected in the beginning of the treatment, prior to last dose, at the end of study (exit visit) and the follow up.