• Dave Singh, Giorgia Ciurlia, Annalisa Piccinno, Annamaria Muraro, Maria Bocchi, and Mario Scuri.
• University of Manchester, Medicines Evaluation Unit, The Langley Building, University Hospital of South Manchester, Southmoor Rd, Wythenshawe M23 9QZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: DSingh@meu.org.uk.
• Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb 1; 42: 43-51.

IntroductionAn extrafine combination of beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) and formoterol fumarate (FF) via a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) has been commercially available for some years for the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation of extrafine BDP/FF is now also available. This study evaluated the cardiovascular safety of BDP/FF DPI in comparison to BDP/FF pMDI and placebo.MethodsSingle-dose, partially-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, 5-period crossover study. Main inclusion criteria: aged 40-75 years; moderate to severe COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV1 40-80% predicted, FEV1/FVC <0.7). Patients received BDP/FF 200/12, 800/48 μg and placebo via DPI, and BDP/FF 200/12 and 800/48 μg via pMDI. In both devices, 200/12 μg is the therapeutic dose; 800/48 μg is supratherapeutic.Primary Objectiveto demonstrate non-inferiority between BDP/FF DPI and pMDI in average 4-h heart rate (HR0-4h) at each dose level. Secondary variables included: HR0-12h, HR peak and individual timepoint; QTcF interval; SBP and DBP AUC0-12h; and potassium and glucose AUC0-4h. Adverse events (AEs) were collected.ResultsForty-nine patients were randomised; 45 (92%) received all five treatments. Non-inferiority was demonstrated between the DPI and pMDI formulations at both doses (-0.2 bpm [95% CI -1.3, 0.9] for 200/12 μg and 0.6 bpm [-0.5, 1.7] for 800/48 μg). Although there were statistically significant treatment-placebo differences at both doses and with both devices (thus confirming assay sensitivity), these differences were small and well below 5 bpm for the 200/12 μg dose. The results for the secondary parameters (QTcF, glucose and potassium) further supported the therapeutic equivalence of the two treatments. At the therapeutic dose, there were no clinically relevant treatment-placebo differences in any parameter with either formulation. There was no increase in the proportion of patients reporting AEs whilst receiving therapeutic doses of BDF/FF (either formulation) compared with placebo.ConclusionsOverall, this study provides reassurance over the cardiovascular safety of extrafine BDP/FF, both in a DPI and a pMDI formulation.Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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