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NCT Number: NCT07787117

QUARTZ: Comparative Effectiveness of Switching From Albuterol to Albuterol/Budesonide Versus Adding Low-dose ICS or LTRA to Albuterol

The QUARTZ study is a retrospective observational cohort study using a prevalent new-user design and U.S. healthcare claims data to evaluate treatment effectiveness among patients with asthma. The study compares the real-world effectiveness of switching from albuterol-only rescue therapy to albuterol/budesonide versus adding low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) while continuing albuterol. The primary objective is to assess the comparative effectiveness of these treatment strategies in reducing severe asthma exacerbations in routine clinical practice in the United States.

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Key information

Conditions

Asthma Bronchial Diseases Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity, Immediate Immune System Diseases Lung Diseases Lung Diseases, Obstructive Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory Tract Diseases

Age range

18 year–99 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Research Site

Wilmington, Delaware, 19803, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Asthma patients with at least one prescription record (identified by NDC or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System [HCPCS] codes) for Airsupra (Airsupra cohort), LD ICS or LTRA, (comparator cohort) since January 2023.
  • Patients with at least one prescription record (based on NDC or HCPCS codes) of albuterol within the 12 months prior to the first Airsupra or the controller medications prescription date
  • Patients aged ≥18 years on the index date
  • Patients with ≥12 months of continuous insurance enrolment prior and 12 months after index date.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients with at least one medical claim with an ICD-10 code within the 12 months prior to the index date for any of the chronic respiratory conditions or systemic inflammatory diseases routinely treated with systemic corticosteroids (SCS)
  • Patients with any prescription record for any ICS or other controller therapies (including SAMA, LABA, LAMA, LTRA, theophylline or biologics) within the 12 months prior to the and inclusive of index date (the index therapy defining cohort entry (LD ICS for the LD ICS cohort; LTRA for the LTRA cohort is permitted on the index date)
  • Patients with maintenance OCS use within the 12 months prior to and inclusive of the index date
  • Airsupra patients with a concomitant SABA prescription record on the index date

Treatment and study plan

None (Observational study)

Other

Not applicable since it's an observational study. There are three study cohorts: 1) Airsupra cohort 2)Albuterol and low-dose ICS comparator cohort and 3) Albuterol and LTRA comparator cohort.

Other names: Observational study

Primary outcomes

  1. Severe exacerbations during follow-up: annualized asthma exacerbation rates (AAER) by cohort, overall and by setting (IP, ED/urgent care, outpatient); plus absolute rates and rate ratios comparing Airsupra with each comparator cohort

    Time frame: Follow-up starts the day after index and ends at the earliest of death, data end, insurance disenrollment, loss to follow-up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment, up to 36 months; add-on maintenance therapy does not censor follow-up.

    To describe and compare the occurrence of severe exacerbations observed among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time to first severe exacerbation: KM curves, median time by arm (if estimable), and Cox PH HRs comparing Airsupra with each comparator. Also, the proportion with at least 1 severe exacerbation at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after treatment initiation.

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months

    To describe and compare the time to first severe exacerbation among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort.

  2. Cumulative inhaled corticosteroid exposure (beclomethasone equivalent µg/year)

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months

    To describe exposure to corticosteroid treatments among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort

  3. Cumulative systemic corticosteroid exposure (prednisone equivalent mg/year)

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months

    To describe exposure to corticosteroid treatments among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort

  4. Total SCS exposure days

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months

    To describe exposure to corticosteroid treatments among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort

  5. SCS burst rates

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months

    To describe exposure to corticosteroid treatments among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort

Other outcomes

  1. Follow-up HCRU rates by arm: all-cause, asthma-related, and exacerbation-related use, including IP admissions, ED/urgent care, primary care, specialist outpatient visits, plus chest X-rays, oxygen treatment, and spirometry.

    Time frame: Follow-up period for each patient starts the day after the index date and ends at the earliest date of death, end of data, end of insurance enrollment, loss to follow up, or switch to the alternative rescue treatment up to 36 months.

    To describe healthcare resource use (HCRU) among the Airsupra cohort and each comparator cohort.

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Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

AstraZeneca

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

QUARTZ: Comparative Effectiveness of Switching From Albuterol to Albuterol/Budesonide Versus Adding Low-Dose Inhaled Corticosteroids or Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists to Albuterol Among Adults With Asthma in the United States

Acronym: QUARTZ

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 26, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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