Alendronate to Prevent Loss of Bronchoprotection in Asthma
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Beta-2-agonists are effective in reducing airway narrowing in asthma and protecting against
stimuli that produce bronchoconstriction. The combination of long-acting beta agonists (LABA)
and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) has become the most commonly used asthma controller
medication class in the United States, but unfortunately, even when LABAs are added to ICS
and used regularly, 58-81% of patients with asthma fail to achieve total control. Regular use
of beta-agonists, both short and long-acting, reduces the ability of these agents to protect
against the airway narrowing that occurs in asthma in response to bronchoconstrictor stimuli.
We refer to this reduced effect as loss of bronchoprotection. In this proof of concept trial
we aim to determine if alendronate, which diminishes beta-2 adrenergic receptor
internalization, can reduce the loss of bronchoprotection that occurs with regular use of
LABAs, even when used in combination with ICS.