Related Experiment Videos
Ketotifen in asthma
K P Dawson1, D M Fergusson, L J Horwood
1Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
Insights
Ketotifen reduced asthma attacks and school absence in children with moderately severe asthma. However, it did not significantly lower the overall treatment failure rate during withdrawal.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children, impacting quality of life and school attendance.
- Ketotifen, an anti-inflammatory and mast cell stabilizer, is used for asthma management.
- Evaluating the efficacy of adjunctive ketotifen in pediatric asthma requires rigorous clinical trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of ketotifen as an add-on therapy for moderately severe pediatric asthma.
- To evaluate the impact of ketotifen on asthma exacerbations, school absenteeism, and symptom control.
- To determine the treatment failure rate during a controlled withdrawal phase of regular asthma therapy.
Main Methods:
- A 22-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 children aged 5-13 years with moderately severe asthma.
- Ketotifen or placebo was added to existing asthma medications.
- A controlled withdrawal of regular asthma therapy was incorporated into the study design.
Main Results:
- Children receiving ketotifen demonstrated significantly fewer asthma attacks and reduced school absence compared to placebo.
- Marginally significant improvements were observed in day and night wheezing rates with ketotifen addition.
- During the withdrawal phase, the failure rate for ketotifen was not significantly lower than for placebo.
Conclusions:
- Adjunctive ketotifen therapy shows potential benefits in reducing asthma exacerbations and improving school attendance in children.
- The observed benefits on wheezing were marginally significant, suggesting a need for further investigation.
- Ketotifen did not significantly reduce treatment failure rates during the controlled withdrawal of regular asthma therapy.
Abstract:
Sixty children aged 5-13 years with moderately severe asthma took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ketotifen. The design incorporated a 22 week study period, the addition of ketotifen or placebo to the current medication, and a controlled withdrawal of the regular therapy. Children receiving ketotifen showed significantly lower mean numbers of asthma attacks and less absence from school. The addition of ketotifen to existing treatment was associated with marginally significant changes in rates of day and night wheezing. In the second phase of study, additional therapy was withdrawn from both the ketotifen and placebo groups which resulted in a high (percentage) withdrawal. Children receiving ketotifen did not have a significantly lower failure rate than those given placebo.