Triple dual therapy significantly improves lung function, quality of life in COPD patients

The InforMing the PAthway of COPD Treatment (IMPACT) study was conducted to assess the benefits of triple versus dual therapy in patients with COPD. In a study at CHEST, researchers found that regardless of baseline reversibility, the usage of triple dual therapies significantly reduced the annual rate and moderate-to-severe and severe exacerbations, improved lung function and overall quality of life in patients.

The randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, global study was conducted in 10,355 symptomatic patients with COPD with a history of moderate-to-severe exacerbations over a 52-week period. During the screening, patient was defined as reversible through differences shown between their pre- and post-albuterol assessments of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of ?12 percent and ?200 mL. Researchers also assessed the effect of baseline reversibility on treatment response with fluticasone furoate (FF)/umeclidinium (UMEC)/vilanterol (VI) and with FF/VI and UMEC/VI. The lung function and quality of life (QoL) of patients were measured by St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and observed for FF/UMEC/VI over UMEC/VI independent of reversibility status at screening.

During screening, 18 percent of patients demonstrated reversibility. In both reversible and nonreversible patients, there was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of moderate and severe exacerbations with FF/UMEC/VI as compared to UMEC/VI. They also found a reduction in the risk of having a moderate/severe exacerbation and the risk of having a severe exacerbation in both groups of patients. Quality of life was also improved in both reversible and non-reversible patients.