ProAir Digihaler in COPD Disease Management: A Real World Study

ProAir Digihaler in COPD Disease Management: A Real World Study to Assess ProAir Digihaler Inhalation Parameters Thresholds and Their Use to Identify Deterioration in Clinical Practice

A pilot study to explore the utilization of the TEVA ProAir Digihaler rescue medication use and inhalation parameters to identify disease deterioration to help in the management of COPD patients in clinical practice. The study is designed to follow a small sample size of patients with COPD, monitor and collect inhalation parameters from the Digihaler dashboard, and changes in symptom control as measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) to identify potential inhalation parameter thresholds that could be applied to the management of patients with COPD in clinical practice.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COPD; COPD Exacerbation Acute
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: ProAir Digihaler; Device: Digihaler

Detailed Description

The trial is an unblinded open label single center study designed to identify trends in Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) rates and Rescue Albuterol Inhaler usage (Inhalations) that associate with disease deterioration as defined by worsening of symptoms and reduced lung function in patients with COPD.

The study will consist of a run-in period of approximately 2 weeks, a treatment period of 6 months and a follow-up period of 1 week. Twenty (20) patients with COPD requiring intermittent short acting beta agonist (SABA) rescue inhaler usage, but not requiring frequent SABA nebulizer rescue usage, will be enrolled.

After signing informed consent, patients will undergo a screening evaluation. During the run-in period, patients will continue on their COPD maintenance treatments, while discontinuing all previously prescribed periodic use rescue medications. Upon completion of screening, all patients will be dispensed a ProAir Digihaler to be used exclusively as their rescue medication throughout the duration of the study. During the run-in period all rescue inhaler usage will be electronically monitored and patient data from the Digihaler Dashboard will be downloaded every other business day basis (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

At the completion of at least 2 weeks of run-in (with a minimum of at least 8 rescue inhaler usages) and with documentation of stable clinical status throughout run-in, the patient will return for baseline testing; including vital signs, health related quality of life and Anthonisen Exacerbation questionnaires, pre and post bronchodilator spirometry and 6-minute walk testing (see table/flow chart). Average Peak Inspiratory Flow (Baseline PIF) and average Number of Rescue Inhalations per day (Baseline Inhalations) will be determined from the Digihaler Dashboard Data downloads during run-in.

In the event that the patient does not meet number of rescue inhaler usages or does not have a stable clinical status during run-in, an additional 2 weeks of run-in may be obtained. If at the end of the extended run-in period so that Baseline PIF and Baseline Inhalations cannot be determined or the patient continues to be clinically unstable, the patient will be discontinued from the study. If the patient has an upper respiratory tract infection or COPD exacerbation during run-in, they will also be discontinued from the study. Patients may be re-screened one time at a later date, when stable.

Once run-in and baseline testing are complete, all patients will continue on their maintenance COPD medications and use the ProAir Digihaler rescue SABA exclusively for the next 6 months. Patients will be provided with paper forms of the CAT, BCSS and Anthonisen Exacerbation criteria, to be completed at home on a weekly basis and mailed to the research center upon completion).

Throughout the treatment period, all rescue inhaler usage will be electronically transmitted to, monitored at and downloaded from the Digihaler Dashboard by the research center on every other business day basis (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). At the completion of each Digihaler Dashboard Data Download, comparisons of Daily PIF (average PIF of all rescue inhalations in a day) and Daily Inhalations (number of rescue inhalations in a day) to Baseline PIF and Baseline Inhalations will be made.

All patients with Daily Inhalations exceeding Baseline Inhalations by ≥4 Inhalations per day and/or with a Daily PIF ≤80% of Baseline PIF for 2 consecutive days will be DEFINED as "at risk". For each "at risk" event, the patient will be contacted, their health status reviewed, and CAT and Anthonisen Exacerbation questionnaires will be administered. Based on symptoms, patients may also be advised to seek additional medical care.

All patients will be contacted on a monthly basis, irrespective of "risk" findings and seen in person every 3 months. All medication usage (including ProAir Digihaler medication usage), changes in medical care, healthcare contacts and usage, and any adverse events will be recorded. All office records for the intervening time period will be reviewed and Information for any non-office healthcare contacts and usage will be requested to provide detailed clinical information for comparison to Digihaler usage records.

At months 3 and 6 on treatment, all subjects will return to the research center, where vital signs, Anthonisen Exacerbation and CAT questionnaires, and post bronchodilator spirometry will be assessed. All medication usage (including ProAir Digihaler medication usage), changes in medical care, healthcare contacts and usage, and any adverse events will be recorded. All office records for the intervening time period will be reviewed and Information for any non-office healthcare contacts and usage will be requested to provide detailed clinical information for comparison to Digihaler usage records. Three (3) new ProAir Digihalers will be dispensed at month 3.

Throughout the treatment period, all rescue inhaler usage will be electronically monitored and downloaded from the Digihaler Dashboard by the research center on an every other business day basis (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). At the completion of each Digihaler Dashboard Data Download, comparisons of Daily PIF (average PIF of all rescue inhalations in a day) and Daily Inhalations (number of rescue inhalations in a day) to Baseline PIF and Baseline Inhalations will be made.

All patients with Daily Inhalations exceeding Baseline Inhalations by ≥4 Inhalations per day and/or with a Daily PIF ≤80% of Baseline PIF for 2 consecutive days will be DEFINED as "at risk". For each "at risk" event, the patient will be contacted, their health status reviewed, and CAT and Anthonisen Exacerbation questionnaires will be administered. Based on symptoms, patients may also be advised to seek additional medical care.

At the conclusion of the 6-month treatment period the patients will return to the research center for a final visit, returning all study medication not previously returned. The patient will be advised to resume usage of their prior rescue inhaler medication at that time. A telephone call will be made to the patient 1 week after their final in-person visit, to assess vital status and any adverse events that may have occurred subsequent to discontinuing the ProAir Digihaler.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 27

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States, 48336
      • Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 41 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults with COPD

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Documented history of COPD by ATS/GOLD criteria
2. Age > 45 years

3. Patient willing and able to:

   1. participate in the study, including all scheduled visits
   2. demonstrate the ability to use the ProAir Digihaler, including transfer of Digihaler data via blue-tooth to a smart device
   3. perform all required testing, including spirometry and walk tests
   4. complete all home questionnaires and participate in all telephone contacts
   5. switch current rescue inhaler/device to ProAir Digihaler
4. Baseline spirometry consistent with COPD (post bronchodilator FEV1 < 80% predicted, FEV1/FVC <70%)
5. Use of albuterol inhaler as primary device for administration of rescue therapy
6. Reported use of rescue inhaler at least twice (4 inhalations) a week in the previous 6 months
7. Access to smartphone with blue-tooth and cellular/internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Allergy, contraindication or inability to use albuterol sulfate
2. Frequent use of a nebulizer as rescue therapy (>1 time per day)
3. Current diagnosis of asthma
4. Unstable medical condition that could prevent the completion of the research trial
5. Pregnancy, planning to become pregnant or breast feeding
6. Failure to use rescue inhaler during Run-in period (minimum of at least 8 rescue inhaler inhalations over the 2 weeks)
7. Exacerbations that require discontinuation from study (during run-in period)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
PIF Alerts and COPD Exacerbations	Presence of a Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) alert prior to a COPD Exacerbation Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) is the maximal inspiratory flow achieved during each patient inhalation of the Digihaler dry powder inhaler. PIF is automatically measured by the Digihaler dry powder inhaler during every inspiration of medication by a subject. Inspiratory flow is used to inhale respiratory medications into the lungs. A low inspiratory flow rate has been considered to place a COPD patient at risk for reducing medication inhalation and for other adverse outcomes. An acute fall in a patient's PIF may also be a marker of an impending change in a patient's condition. All acute COPD exacerbations were assessed by patient history, diaries and direct patient interviews. If a COPD Exacerbation had occurred, PIF measurements in the prior 2 weeks were assessed to determine if a PIF Alert, defined as a 20% fall in PIF from baseline for a minimum of 2 consecutive days, had occurred in the 2 weeks prior.	6 months
Low PIF Alerts and Worsening CAT Score	Presence of a Low Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) alert, defined by an 20% reduction in PIF from baseline for a minimum of 2 consecutive days occurring in the 2 weeks prior to a worsening of a subject COPD Assessment Test Score (CAT, score range 0-40, clinically important difference defined as a change in CAT score of 2 or more over time with an increase in value identifying worsening disease). Peak Inspiratory Flow (PIF) is the maximal inspiratory flow achieved during each patient inhalation of the Digihaler dry powder inhaler. PIF is automatically measured and recorded by the Digihaler device during every inspiration of medication with the device. All PIF measures in the 2 weeks prior to any worsening of CAT were assessed and a PIF alert was identified as being present if PIF fell by ≥20% from baseline on 2 or more consecutive days in the 2 weeks prior to a worsening of CAT score event.	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rescue SABA Puff Use Alerts and COPD Exacerbations	Presence of a Rescue SABA Puff Use Alert, defined as an increase of 2 or more rescue inhaler puffs per day above baseline for 2 or more days in the 2 weeks prior to any COPD exacerbation. Rescue SABA Puff use is the counted and recorded use of the DIgihaler inhaler device each time the subject uses of the Digihaler device.	6 months
Low IV Alerts and COPD Exacerbations	Presence of a Low Inhalation Volume (IV) alert, defined by a 20% fall in IV from baseline for 2 or more days in the 2 weeks prior to any COPD exacerbation. IV is the volume of air inhaled and measured during each patient inhalation use of the Digihaler device.	6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
COPD symptoms and PIF	Determine if changes in the Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Survey (BCSS) (range 0-40, higher score means worse) correlate with changes in peak inspiratory flow (PIF) as measured by the ProAir Digihaler	6 month
COPD symptoms and Puffs	Determine if changes in the Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Survey (BCSS) score (range 0-40, higher score means worse) correlate with changes from baseline in daily SABA rescue inhaler use as measured by the ProAir Digihaler	6 month
COPD symptoms and IV	Determine if changes in the Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Survey (BCSS) score (range 0-40, higher score means worse) correlate with changes from baseline in Inspiratory Volume as measured by the ProAir Digihaler	6 months
PIF versus IV	Determine if Inspiratory Capacity (IC) correlates to Inhalation Volume (IV) measured by the ProAir Digihaler, at baseline and during the study	6 months
COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Predictor	Determine whether ProAir Digihaler changes in PIF and in SABA use above baseline thresholds are influenced by baseline COPD condition, as measured by COPD Assessment Test (CAT)	6 months
Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC) Predictor	Determine whether ProAir Digihaler changes in PIF and in SABA use above baseline thresholds are influenced by baseline COPD condition, as measured by Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC)	6 months
GOLD group [A-D] Predictor	Determine whether ProAir Digihaler changes in PIF and in SABA use above baseline thresholds are influenced by baseline COPD condition, as measured by GOLD group [A-D]	6 months
FEV1 severity/GOLD grade [I-IV] Predictor	Determine whether ProAir Digihaler changes in PIF and in SABA use above baseline thresholds are influenced by baseline COPD condition, as measured by FEV1 severity/GOLD grade [I-IV]	6 months
BODE score Predictor	Determine whether ProAir Digihaler changes in PIF and in SABA use above baseline thresholds are influenced by baseline COPD condition, as measured by BODE score [Body Mass Index (BMI - calculated from weight in pounds x height in inches), Airway Obstruction (FEV1 % predicted), Dyspnea (mMRC scale 0-4), and Exercise Tolerance (6-minute walk in meters)] then derived from the BODE equation to determine the Bode score range 0-10)	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan
• Collaborators: Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc.
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gary T Ferguson, M.D., Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 10, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 21, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 21, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 25, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): March 30, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 13, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 27, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: COPD; Disease Management; Digihaler; Rescue Medication
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Autonomic Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Reproductive Control Agents; Neurotransmitter Agents; Adrenergic Agonists; Adrenergic Agents; Respiratory System Agents; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Bronchodilator Agents; Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; Adrenergic beta-Agonists; Tocolytic Agents; Albuterol
• Other Study ID Numbers: 002 (University of CT Health Center)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Data limited to study collaborative research organizations only

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes