Dose Ranging Efficacy And Safety With Mepolizumab in Severe Asthma

Clinically significant exacerbations of asthma are defined as worsening of asthma which required use of oral/systemic corticosteroids (for participants on maintenance oral corticosteroids [OCS], an exacerbation requiring OCS is defined as the use of oral/systemic corticosteroids at least double the existing maintenance dose for at least 3 days) and/or hospitalization and/or emergency department (ED) visit. The frequency of clinically significant exacerbations of asthma over the 52-week treatment period is expressed as exacerbation rate per year. Analysis of the number of exacerbations was performed using a negative binomial regression model with covariates of treatment group, Baseline (BL) maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), region, exacerbations in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable) and BL percent (%) predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and with logarithm of time on treatment as an offset variable

Clinically significant exacerbations of asthma are defined as worsening of asthma which required use of oral/systemic corticosteroids (for participants on maintenance OCS, an exacerbation requiring OCS is defined as the use of oral/systemic corticosteroids at least double the existing maintenance dose for at least 3 days) and/or hospitalization and/or ED visit. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of an exacerbation is expressed as percentage of participants with an exacerbation over time (by Week 16, Week 32 and Week 52).

The frequency of exacerbations of asthma requiring hospitalization (including intubation and admittance to an intensive care unit [ICU]) or ED visit over the 52-week treatment period is expressed as exacerbation rate per year. Analysis of the number of exacerbations was performed using a negative binomial regression model with covariates of treatment group, Baseline (BL) maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), region, exacerbations in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable) and BL percent (%) predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and with logarithm of time on treatment as an offset variable.

Exacerbations of asthma requiring hospitalization or ED visit were assessed. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of an exacerbation is expressed as percentage of participants with an exacerbation over time (by Week 16, Week 32 and Week 52).

Clinically significant exacerbations (ex) of asthma are defined as worsening of asthma which required use of oral/systemic corticosteroids (for par. on maintenance OCS, an ex requiring OCS is defined as the use of oral/systemic corticosteroids at least double the existing maintenance dose for at least 3 days) and/or hospitalization and/or ED visit. In the case, an event described as an ex was not associated with a deterioration in >=1 of the objectives of eDiary parameters, the investigator (inv) provided an explanation to support the decision for defining the event as an ex. All recorded ex were defined as those recorded by inv, regardless of the outcome of the ex review process. Analysis was performed using Negative Binomial regression model with covariates of treatment group, BL maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), region, ex in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable) and BL % predicted FEV1, and with logarithm of time on treatment as an offset variable.

All recorded exacerbations are defined as those recorded by investigators, regardless of the outcome of the exacerbation review process. In the case, an event described as an exacerbation was not associated with a deterioration in at least one of the objectives of eDiary parameters, the investigator provided an explanation to support the decision for defining the event as an exacerbation. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of an exacerbation is expressed as percentage of participants with an exacerbation over time (by week 16, week 32 and week 52).

FEV1 is defined as the volume of air forcefully expelled from the lungs in 1 second. Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 measurements were taken by spirometry at each clinic visit. The change from Baseline is defined as the difference between the value of the endpoint at the time point of interest and the Baseline value. Analysis was performed using mixed model repeated measures with covariates of Baseline, region, Baseline maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), exacerbations in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable), treatment and visit, plus interaction terms for visit by Baseline and visit by treatment group.

FEV1 is defined as the volume of air forcefully expelled from the lungs in 1 second. Post-bronchodilator FEV1 measurements were taken by spirometry at Baseline, Week 16, Week 32 and Week 52. Post bronchodilator values were recorded following reversibility testing, using the maximum post bronchodilator method. Participants unable to achieve >=12% reversibility and 200 mL change at Visit 1, reversibility test was repeated at Visit 2. These procedures to achieve the maximum post-bronchodilator are generated by the Asthma Clinical Research Network. The change from Baseline is defined as the difference between the value of the endpoint at the time point of interest and the Baseline value. Analysis was performed using mixed model repeated measures with covariates of Baseline, region, Baseline maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), exacerbations in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable), treatment and visit, plus interaction terms for visit by Baseline and visit by treatment

The ACQ-6 is a six-item questionnaire. The six questions enquire about the frequency and/or severity of symptoms (nocturnal awakening on waking in the morning, activity limitation, shortness of breath, wheeze) and use of short-acting bronchodilator over the previous week. The response options for all these questions consist of a 0 (no impairment/limitation) to 6 (total impairment/ limitation) scale. The overall ACQ score is calculated as the mean of the 6 questions and therefore ranges between 0 (totally controlled) and 6 (severely uncontrolled). Change from BL is defined as the difference between the value of the endpoint at the time point of interest and BL value. Analysis was performed using mixed model repeated measures with covariates of BL, region, BL maintenance OCS therapy (OCS vs. no OCS), exacerbations in the year prior to the study (as an ordinal variable), BL % predicted FEV1, treatment and visit, plus interaction terms for visit by BL and visit by treatment group.