Dual Bronchodilator Therapy with Umeclidinium/Vilanterol Versus Tiotropium plus Indacaterol in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION: The fixed-dose, long-acting bronchodilator combination of umeclidinium/vilanterol (UMEC/VI) has not previously been compared with a combination of a long-acting muscarinic antagonist and long-acting β(2)-agonist in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This 12-week, randomized, blinded, triple-dummy, parallel-group, non-inferiority study compared once-daily UMEC/VI 62.5/25 mcg with once-daily tiotropium (TIO) 18 mcg + indacaterol (IND) 150 mcg in patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD. The primary endpoint was the trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) on day 85 (predefined non-inferiority margin −50 mL), and the secondary endpoint was the 0- to 6-h weighted mean (WM) FEV(1) on day 84. Other efficacy endpoints [including rescue medication use, the Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI) focal score, and the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score] and safety endpoints [adverse events (AEs), vital signs, and COPD exacerbations] were also assessed. RESULTS: Trough FEV(1) improvements were comparable between treatment groups [least squares (LS) mean changes from baseline to day 85: UMEC/VI 172 mL; TIO + IND 171 mL; treatment difference 1 mL; 95 % confidence interval (CI) −29 to 30 mL], demonstrating non-inferiority between UMEC/VI and TIO + IND. The treatments produced similar improvements in the trough FEV(1) at other study visits and the 0- to 6-h WM FEV(1) (LS mean changes at day 84: UMEC/VI 235 mL; TIO + IND 258 mL; treatment difference −23 mL; 95 % CI −54 to 8 mL). The results for patient-reported measures (rescue medication use, TDI focal score, and SGRQ score) were comparable; both treatments produced clinically meaningful improvements in TDI and SGRQ scores. The incidence of AEs and COPD exacerbations, and changes in vital signs were similar for the two treatments. CONCLUSION: UMEC/VI and TIO + IND, given once daily, provided similar improvements in lung function and patient-reported outcomes over 12 weeks in patients with COPD, with comparable tolerability and safety profiles. TRIAL NUMBERS: ClinicalTrials.gov study ID NCT02257385; GSK study no. 116961. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40268-016-0131-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.