Back to Journals » International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease » Volume 6

A novel study design for antibiotic trials in acute exacerbations of COPD: MAESTRAL methodology

Authors Wilson R, Anzueto A, Miravitlles M , Arvis P, Farago, Haverstock D, Trajanovic M, Sethi S 

Published 29 June 2011 Volume 2011:6 Pages 373—383

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S21071

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Robert Wilson1, Antonio Anzueto2, Marc Miravitlles3, Pierre Arvis4, Geneviève Faragó5, Daniel Haverstock6, Mila Trajanovic5, Sanjay Sethi7
1Host Defence Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, England, UK; 2University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, South Texas Veterans HealthCare System, San Antonio, TX, USA; 3Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; 4Bayer HealthCare, Loos, France; 5Bayer Inc, Toronto, ON, Canada; 6Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Montville, NJ, USA; 7Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

Abstract: Antibiotics, along with oral corticosteroids, are standard treatments for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The ultimate aims of treatment are to minimize the impact of the current exacerbation, and by ensuring complete resolution, reduce the risk of relapse. In the absence of superiority studies of antibiotics in AECOPD, evidence of the relative efficacy of different drugs is lacking, and so it is difficult for physicians to select the most effective antibiotic. This paper describes the protocol and rationale for MAESTRAL (moxifloxacin in AECBs [acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis] trial; www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00656747), one of the first antibiotic comparator trials designed to show superiority of one antibiotic over another in AECOPD. It is a prospective, multinational, multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled study of moxifloxacin (400 mg PO [per os] once daily for 5 days) vs amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (875/125 mg PO twice daily for 7 days) in outpatients with COPD and chronic bronchitis suffering from an exacerbation. MAESTRAL uses an innovative primary endpoint of clinical failure: the requirement for additional or alternate treatment for the exacerbation at 8 weeks after the end of antibiotic therapy, powered for superiority. Patients enrolled are those at high-risk of treatment failure, and all are experiencing an Anthonisen type I exacerbation. Patients are stratified according to oral corticosteroid use to control their effect across antibiotic treatment arms. Secondary endpoints include quality of life, symptom assessments and health care resource use.

Keywords: AECOPD, moxifloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, clinical trial design, exacerbation, antibiotic

Creative Commons License © 2011 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.