Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial. Open-label extension enrolled 65 of the patients after washout; interim analysis after 12 weeks.
Participants
69 patients with cystic fibrosis aged 6 years and older with Arg117His-CFTR and percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (% predicted FEV1) of at least 40.
Interventions
Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive placebo or ivacaftor 150 mg every 12 h for 24 weeks. Randomisation was stratified by age (6-11, 12-17, and >/=18 years) and % predicted FEV1 (<70, >/=70 to 90).
Outcome measures
The primary outcome was the absolute change from baseline in % predicted FEV1 through week 24. Secondary outcomes included safety and changes in sweat chloride concentrations and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) respiratory domain scores.
Main results
After 24 weeks, the treatment difference in mean absolute change in % predicted FEV1 between ivacaftor (n=34) and placebo (n=35) was 2.1 percentage points (95% CI -1.13 to 5.35; p=0.20). Ivacaftor treatment resulted in significant treatment differences in sweat chloride (-24.0 mmol/L, 95% CI -28.01 to -19.93; p<0.0001) and CFQ-R respiratory domain (8.4, 2.17 to 14.61; p=0.009). In prespecified subgroup analyses, % predicted FEV1 significantly improved with ivacaftor in patients aged 18 years or older (treatment difference vs placebo: 5.0 percentage points, 95% CI 1.15 to 8.78; p=0.01), but not in patients aged 6-11 years (-6.3 percentage points, -11.96 to -0.71; p=0.03). In the extension study, both placebo-to-ivacaftor and ivacaftor-to-ivacaftor groups showed % predicted FEV1 improvement (absolute change from post-washout baseline at week 12: placebo-to-ivacaftor, 5.0 percentage points [p=0.0005]; ivacaftor-to-ivacaftor, 6.0 percentage points [p=0.006]). We did not identify any new safety concerns.
Authors' conclusions
Although this study did not show a significant improvement in % predicted FEV1, ivacaftor did significantly improve sweat chloride and CFQ-R respiratory domain scores and lung function in adult patients with Arg117His-CFTR, indicating that ivacaftor might benefit patients with Arg117His-CFTR who have established disease. FUNDING: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.