Efficacy and safety of TOBI Podhaler in Pseudomonas aeruginosa- infected bronchiectasis patients: iBEST study.

The study aimed to determine the efficacy of a safe and well-tolerated dose and regimen of tobramycin inhalation powder (TIP) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa sputum density in patients with bronchiectasis.This is a phase II, double-blind, randomised study in bronchiectasis patients aged ≥18 years with chronic P. aeruginosa infection. Patients were randomised 1:1:1 to either cohort A: three capsules of TIP once daily (84 mg); cohort B: five capsules once daily (140 mg) or cohort C: four capsules twice daily (224 mg). Within each cohort, patients were further randomised 2:2:1 either to TIP continuously, TIP cyclically (alternating 28 days of TIP and placebo) or placebo for 16 weeks, respectively and were followed up for 8 weeks.Overall, 107 patients were randomised to cohorts A (n=34), B (n=36) and C (n=37). All three TIP doses significantly reduced the P. aeruginosa sputum density from baseline to day 29 versus placebo in a dose-dependent manner (p≤0.0001, each). A smaller proportion of patients in the continuous-TIP (34.1%) and cyclical-TIP (35.7%) groups experienced pulmonary exacerbations versus placebo (47.6%) and also required fewer anti-pseudomonal antibiotics (38.6% on continuous TIP and 42.9% on cyclical TIP) versus placebo (57.1%) although not statistically significant. Pulmonary exacerbation of bronchiectasis was the most frequent (37.4%) adverse event. Overall, TIP was well tolerated, however, 23.4% of the patients discontinued the study drug due to adverse events.Continuous- and cyclical-TIP regimens with all three doses were safe and effective in reducing the P. aeruginosa sputum density in patients with bronchiectasis and chronic P. aeruginosa infection.
Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: E. Polverino reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and personal fees from Bayer, Menarini, Grifols, Zambon, Pfizer, Chiesi, Teva, Shire, Insmed and Polyphor, and grants from Chiesi and Grifols, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: J.D. Chalmers reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and grants and personal fees from GSK, Boehringer-Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bayer Healthcare, Grifols, Napp, Aradigm corporation, and Insmed, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: H.A.W.M. Tiddens reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and personal fees from Vertex and Gilead, grants and personal fees from Novartis, and grants from Roche, Vertex, Chiesi and Vectura, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: H. Goossens reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study. Conflict of interest: M. Tunney reports grants from European Union IMI grant in collaboration with Novartis, during the conduct of the study; and grants from European Union, Novartis and Alaxia SAS, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: F.C. Ringhausen reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Aposan, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celtaxsys, Chiesi, Corbus, Grifols, InfectoPharm, Insmed, MSD, Novartis, PARI, Parion, Polyphor, Vertex and Zambon, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: A.T. Hill reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study. Conflict of interest: R. Pathan reports other from Novartis, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: G. Angyalosi reports other from Novartis, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: F. Blasi reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Grifols, Pfizer, Chiesi, GSK, Guidotti, Menarini, Novartis, Teva, Zambon and Insmed, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: S.J. Elborn reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and grants from Novartis, and personal fees from Vertex, Galapagos and Ionis, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: C.S. Haworth reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and grants and personal fees from Aradigm, Chiesi, Gilead, Grifols, GSK, Insmed, International Biophysics, Janssen, Mylan, Novartis, Teva, Vertex and Zambon, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: M.R. Loebinger reports grants from European Union IMI Grant (in collaboration with Novartis), during the conduct of the study; and personal fees from Bayer, Grifols, Astra Zeneca, Insmed and Polyphor, outside the submitted work.
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