Effectiveness of Pulmozyme in Infants With Cystic Fibrosis

Pulmozyme is given using a nebulizer and is now widely used in older children and adults with cystic fibrosis. In adults and older children, studies have shown that daily use of Pulmozyme improves lung function and decreases the number of lung infections requiring hospital treatment. Pulmozyme has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children over 5 years old and adults with cystic fibrosis. Pulmozyme has also been approved by the FDA for use in children with cystic fibrosis less than 5 years old based upon studies showing that it is safe in this age group and that it does get into the airway tubes as well in infants and toddlers as it does in older children and adults. Currently Pulmozyme is not widely used in children with cystic fibrosis younger than 5 years because no study has clearly shown that inhaling Pulmozyme daily improves lung function or improves clearance of mucus from the airway tubes in very young children. This study will measure whether Pulmozyme improves lung function and mucous clearance from the lungs in children with cystic fibrosis less than 3 ½ years of age.

This study will compare Pulmozyme to a placebo. During the study infants and young children with cystic fibrosis will be treated with Pulmozyme for 6 months and placebo for 6 months. The study medicines will be inhaled at home once a day from a nebulizer for a period of one year. Half of the children will be treated with Pulmozyme for the first 6 months of the study and half will receive the placebo. At the 6 month point the group receiving Pulmozyme will be changed to the placebo and the group receiving placebo will be changed to Pulmozyme. The order of the 6 month treatment periods is randomized. This study is blinded. The study doctor and his staff will not know who is receiving Pulmozyme or placebo at any time during the study.

Whether Pulmozyme works will be measured using infant lung function tests and by doing a special 3-D x-ray of the child's chest (a high resolution CT or HRCT) at the beginning of the study, at 6 months and at 12 month after starting study. The study will not change the regular clinical care.

Inclusion criteria

• Age < 30 months
• Diagnosis of CF based on clinical features consistent with CF as well as 1 of the 2 following criteria: a) two sweat chlorides >60 mEq/L (by quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis), b) genotype with 2 identifiable mutations consistent with CF.
• Informed consent by parent or legal guardian

Exclusion criteria

• Previous treatment with Pulmozyme
• Hospitalization or treatment with IV antibiotics with 14 days of initial study visit
• Acute intercurrent respiratory infection, defined as any of the following symptoms within the preceding 48 hours: 1) fever > 38 degrees C, 2) new onset of coryza or other upper respiratory symptoms, 3) increase in cough, wheezing, or respiratory rate
• History of adverse reaction to sedation
• Oxyhemoglobin saturation <90% on room air
• Severe upper airway obstruction as determined by site PI (severe laryngomalacia, markedly enlarged tonsils, significant snoring, diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea)
• Hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease or diagnosed arrhythmias
• History of hemoptysis
• History of previous pulmonary air leak (pneumothorax)
• Diagnosed seizure disorder necessitating current anticonvulsive therapy. A history of febrile seizures is not an exclusion criterion.
• Use of Investigational drug(s) within 60 days or 5 half-lives of enrollment in this study.
• Known allergy to Chinese Hamster Ovary-derived biological products or any component of the placebo or active drug formulations.