A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study of Pioglitazone Hydrochloride in Severe, Refractory Asthma
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-06-24
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Background:
- Individuals who have severe asthma that is not easily controlled by current treatments are
in need of new treatments to prevent potentially life-threatening asthma attacks. Experiments
in mice have found that a medication called pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos ), which is
used to treat patients with diabetes, may be effective for treating severe asthma.
Researchers are interested in determining whether Actos is effective in improving the quality
of life in subjects with severe asthma who continue to have symptoms despite maximum standard
medical therapy.
Objectives:
- To assess the effectiveness of pioglitazone hydrochloride as a treatment for patients with
severe asthma that is not controlled by standard treatments.
Eligibility:
- Individuals between 18 and 75 years of age who have been diagnosed with and treated for
severe asthma for at least 1 year.
Design:
- Potential participants will have a screening visit to determine eligibility for the
study. The visit will involve breathing tests, chest x rays, heart and lung monitoring,
and blood tests.
- Eligible participants will have a full medical history and will answer a series of
questionnaires about their quality of life with asthma.
- Phase 1: Patients will record lung function and asthma symptoms morning and evening for
4 weeks. At the end of this period, patients will be evaluated with breathing, allergy,
and blood tests, as well as questionnaires. Patients will also provide a sputum sample.
- Phase 2: Patients will receive regular doses of either pioglitazone hydrochloride or a
placebo for 16 weeks. Patients will return to the National Institutes of Health every 4
weeks for tests.
- Phase 3: Wash-out period without study drugs for 4 weeks, similar to Phase 1.
- Phase 4: Patients will receive regular doses of either pioglitazone hydrochloride or a
placebo for 16 weeks. Patients who received placebo will be given the study drug, and
vice versa. Patients will return to the National Institutes of Health every 4 weeks for
tests.
- Phase 5: Medications will be stopped, and patients will return to the National
Institutes of Health 4 weeks later for final tests.