Study to Evaluate the Safety of Long-Term Use of Perforomist® (Formoterol Fumarate)

The primary endpoint was the combined incidence of respiratory death, first COPD-related ER visit or first COPD exacerbation-related hospitalization (whichever occurred first from the time of randomization to the end of the study). The time-to-first event was measured and analyzed in units of weeks and was summarized by treatment for subjects in the Safety Set. An independent Mortality Adjudication Board was used to evaluate all deaths that occurred in the study and for assigning cause of death and COPD-relatedness.

The primary endpoint was the combined incidence of respiratory death, first COPD-related ER visit or first COPD exacerbation-related hospitalization (whichever occurred first from the time of randomization to the end of the study). The time-to-first event was measured and analyzed in units of weeks and was summarized by treatment for subjects in the Safety Set. An independent Mortality Adjudication Board was used to evaluate all deaths that occurred in the study and for assigning cause of death and COPD-relatedness.

An independent Mortality Adjudication Board was used to evaluate all deaths that occurred in the study and for assigning cause of death and COPD-relatedness.

COPD exacerbations were defined as events in the natural course of disease characterized by an increase from baseline in two of the following symptoms: dyspnea, cough, and sputum production that was beyond normal day-to-day variations, was acute in onset, that persisted for at least two consecutive days, and that warranted a change in their regular medication. The change could be either the initiation of additional treatment(s) or the intensification of a treatment the subject was already receiving, and the change must have been specifically to address the exacerbation event. COPD exacerbations occurring after the time of withdrawal or completion of the study were not included.

COPD exacerbations were defined as events in the natural course of disease characterized by an increase from baseline in two of the following symptoms: dyspnea, cough, and sputum production that was beyond normal day-to-day variations, was acute in onset, that persisted for at least two consecutive days, and that warranted a change in their regular medication.The change could be either the initiation of additional treatment(s) or the intensification of a treatment the subject was already receiving, and the change must have been specifically to address the exacerbation event. COPD exacerbations occurring after the time of withdrawal or completion of the study were not included.

Saint Georges Respiratory Questionnaire comprises 50 items in 3 sections, Symptoms, Activity, Impact, measuring health status in chronic airflow limitation. Symptoms captures level of symptomatology. Activity and Impact responses are either "yes" or "no". Scoring is from 0 to 100; 0 = no life quality impairment. A summary score for all items is calculated and ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates best possible health status, 100 represents worst possible health status. Scores are calculated using weights attached to each item in the questionnaire - 4 unit changes are clinically meaningful.

The Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI) measures changes in dyspnea severity from the baseline as established by the BDI. It has 3 components: change in functional impairment, change in magnitude of task, and change in magnitude of effort, and each component is rated on a scale ranging from -3 (major deterioration) to +3 (major improvement). The 3 components are summed to provide a total score ranging from -9 to +9. The lower the score, the more deterioration in severity of dyspnea.

Number of puffs of rescue medication (albuterol pMDI) used per day