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Background: Highly effective CFTR modulator therapy (HEMT) has improved the health of many people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), offering opportunities to discontinue burdensome therapies. SIMPLIFY included randomized, controlled trials that confirmed non-inferiority of discontinuing versus continuing dornase alfa (DA) or hypertonic saline (HS) for 6 weeks in pwCF on HEMT. In this study of post-trial treatment use by SIMPLIFY participants, we hypothesized that randomization to discontinue DA or HS during the trial would be associated with a higher likelihood of non-use of each medication during follow-up., Methods: We electronically surveyed SIMPLIFY participants every 4 weeks for 24 weeks after trial completion but before the main trial results were publicly disclosed. We asked them how often they used medications during the previous week. We estimated covariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of DA or HS non-use by logistic regression with generalized estimating equations., Results: After exclusions mostly due to lack of any surveys, 472 participants were included in the analysis population, 181 from the HS trial and 291 from the DA trial. Approximately half of the analysis population completed all six surveys. At every month of follow-up in both trials, the percentage of individuals reporting non-use of DA or HS during the previous week was greater among those randomized to discontinue therapy. Among participants with responses at 24 weeks, 30/122 (24.6 %) in the HS trial and 79/222 (35.6 %) in the DA trial reported non-use of the respective study medication. After adjusting for covariates, participants randomized to discontinue DA were 8.7-times (95 % CI: 4.3-17.7) more likely to not use DA during follow-up than those randomized to continue DA, and participants randomized to discontinue HS were 5.2-times (95 % CI: 2.1-12.8) more likely to not use HS during follow-up compared to those randomized to continue., Conclusions: In healthy pwCF on ETI, randomization to discontinue DA or HS during SIMPLIFY was associated with greater odds of not using each medication after the trial compared to randomization to continue. These findings suggest that participation in a treatment discontinuation trial can influence participants' post-trial treatment decisions. This possibility may be relevant during discussions about research participation and clinical care., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest AHG was supported by a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (SIMPLIFY-GIFFOR20K0-CI). KR was supported by a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (RIEKER15PE0). NM-H was supported by a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (HAMBLE20K0). DPN was supported by a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (NICHOL20K0). KO-D, MK, BPO, GJO, SLM, JPC, and GSS have no financial conflict of interest to disclose related to this study., (Copyright © 2024 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: We characterized people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ineligible by genotype (not age) for currently approved CFTR modulator therapy using data from the US CF Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR)., Methods: We summarized clinical characteristics using CFFPR data from 2017 to 2022. Annual rate of change in percent predicted of forced expiratory volume in one second (ppFEV 1 ) was estimated using generalized estimating equations., Results: A total of 2,790 individuals with CF met inclusion criteria. In 2022, 12 % were less than 6 years old, 16 % were age 6-12 years, 18 % age 12-18 years and 54 % were ≥18 years. The proportion identified as White was 74 %, 17 % Black, and 26 % as Hispanic. The median (IQR) age at diagnosis was 1.2 (0.5, 9.1) months for children and 3.1 (0.3, 17.4) years for adults. Median (IQR) ppFEV 1 among children was 91.9 (80.3; 102.4) and among adults, 74.3 (52.4; 90.4). Pancreatic enzymes were prescribed for 77.8 %. Population-level average (95 % CI) rates of decline in ppFEV 1 among the pancreatic insufficient population was -1.5 per year (-1.8; -1.2) for ages 6 to <11 years, -2.2 per year (-2.6; -1.8) for ages 12 to <18 years, and -1.5 per year (-1.7; -1.3) for adults., Conclusions: We describe the CFTR modulator ineligible population in the US in 2017-2022. With a growing pipeline of therapies aimed at improving CFTR function for those who cannot benefit from modulators due to ineligibility, characterization of both the size and outcomes of these populations are critical to inform optimal clinical development plans and future clinical trials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Elizabeth Cromwell reports financial support was provided by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sweat chloride (SC) concentrations in people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) reflect relative CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein function, the primary CF defect. Populations with greater SC concentrations tend to have lesser CFTR function and more severe disease courses. CFTR modulator treatment can improve CFTR function within specific CF genotypes and is commonly associated with reduced SC concentration. However, SC concentrations do not necessarily fall to concentrations seen in the unaffected population, suggesting potential for better CFTR treatment outcomes. We characterized post-modulator SC concentration variability among CHEC-SC study participants by genotype and modulator., Methods: PwCF receiving commercially approved modulators for ≥90 days were enrolled for a single SC measurement. Clinical data were obtained from chart review and the CF Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR). Variability of post-modulator SC concentrations was assessed by cumulative SC concentration frequencies., Results: Post-modulator SC concentrations (n = 3787) were collected from 3131 PwCF; most (n = 1769, 47 %) were collected after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) treatment. Modulator use was associated with lower SC distributions, with post-ETI concentrations the lowest on average. Most post-ETI SC concentrations were <60 mmol/L (79 %); 26 % were <30 mmol/L. Post-ETI distributions varied by genotype. All genotypes containing at least one F508del allele had individuals with post-ETI SC ≥60 mmol/L, with the largest proportion being F508del/minimal function (31 %)., Conclusions: Post-modulator SC concentration heterogeneity was observed among all genotypes and modulators, including ETI. The presence of PwCF with post-modulator SC concentrations within the CF diagnostic range suggests room for additional treatment-associated CFTR restoration in this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Many people with CF (pwCF) desire a reduction in inhaled treatment burden after initiation of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor. The randomized, open-label SIMPLIFY study showed that discontinuing hypertonic saline (HS) or dornase alfa (DA) was non-inferior to continuation of each treatment with respect to change in lung function over a 6-week period. In this SIMPLIFY substudy, we used gamma scintigraphy to determine whether discontinuation of either HS or DA was associated with deterioration in the rate of in vivo mucociliary clearance (MCC) in participants ≥12 years of age. While no significant differences in MCC endpoints were associated with HS discontinuation, significant improvement in whole and peripheral lung MCC was observed after discontinuing DA. These results suggest that pwCF on ETI with mild lung disease do not experience a subclinical deterioration in MCC that could later impact health outcomes after discontinuing HS, and in fact may benefit from improved MCC after stopping DA treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Unrelated to the submitted work, SHD reports research funding from Chiesi USA, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Calithera Biosciences, and 4D Molecular Therapeutics, and consulting income from Boehringer Ingelheim and Abbvie. PJM reports grant funding from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Eloxx. SMR reports grant funding from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Galapagos/Abbvie, Eloxx, Synspira, Translate Bio, Arcturus, Astra-Zenica, and Ionis, and consulting income from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Synspira, Renovion, Cystetic Medicines, and Arcturus; all personal conflicts to SMR were resolved or ended in 2022 or before. AHG has clinical trial agreements with AbbVie, 4D Molecular Therapeutics, and Insmed. TEC reports research funding from NIH, Astra Zeneca, Regeneron, Pieris, and the CF Foundation through a Research Development Program award. NMH reports grants from CFF, NIH, and FDA, and DSMB membership for the NIH., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This is the second in a series of four papers updating the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) standards for the care of people with CF. This paper focuses on establishing and maintaining health. The guidance is produced using an evidence-based framework and with wide stakeholder engagement, including people from the CF community. Authors provided a narrative description of their topic and statements, which were more directive. These statements were reviewed by a Delphi exercise, achieving good levels of agreement from a wide group for all statements. This guidance reinforces the importance of a multi-disciplinary CF team, but also describes developing models of care including virtual consultations. The framework for health is reinforced, including the need for a physically active lifestyle and the strict avoidance of all recreational inhalations, including e-cigarettes. Progress with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapy is reviewed, including emerging adverse events and advice for dose reduction and interruption. This paper contains guidance that is pertinent to all people with CF regardless of age and eligibility for and access to modulator therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest KWS has no competing interests. See supplementary materials for full CoI statements for all authors., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The growing use of modulator therapies aimed at restoring cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein function in people with cystic fibrosis has fundamentally altered clinical trial strategies needed to advance new therapeutics across an orphan disease population that is now divided by CFTR modulator eligibility. The development of a robust pipeline of nucleic acid-based therapies (NABTs)-initially directed towards the estimated 10% of the cystic fibrosis population who are genetically ineligible for, or intolerant of, CFTR modulators-is dependent on the optimisation of restricted trial participant resources across multiple development programmes, a challenge that will preclude the use of gold standard placebo-controlled trials. Advancement of a full pipeline of symptomatic therapies across the entire cystic fibrosis population will be challenged by smaller effect sizes and uncertainty regarding their clinical importance in a growing modulator-treated population with more mild and stable pulmonary disease. In this Series paper, we aim to lay the foundation for clinical trial strategy and community partnership that must deviate from established and familiar precedent to advance the future pipeline of cystic fibrosis therapeutics., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests NM-H reports grants from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH; P30 DK 089507 and UL1 TR002319), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); consulting fees from Enterprise Therapeutics; and data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership for the NIH. JPC is an employee of CFF. RJ reports grants from CFF; consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim and Recode Therapeutics; honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and travel support from CFF. SHD reports contracts from Calithera, CFF, NIH (P30 DK065988), Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 4D Molecular Therapeutics, and Chiesi USA; consulting fees from Polarean, 501 Ventures, Enterprise Therapeutics, and Boehringer Ingelheim; fees for participation on advisory boards for Innova Healthcare and Boehringer Ingleheim; travel fees from Enterprise Therapeutics and CFF; and participation on a board for Abbvie. IF reports grants from AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Insmed, GSK, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; board participation for AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Kither Biotech, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and support to her institution from the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS). CHG reports grants and contracts from CFF, NIH (P30 DK 089507 and UL1 TR000423), and FDA; consulting fees from Enterprise Therapeutics; honoraria from Gilead Sciences and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; travel support from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Enterprise Therapeutics; participation on the board for Novartis; stock options for Air Therapeutics; and leadership roles for the American Thoracic Society (ATS). DP reports grants from CFF (002805121), NIH, and Aclaris Pharmaceuticals; travel support from CFF; and board participation for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Translate Bio. FR reports grants from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and consulting fees from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Calithera. BSQ reports grants from CFF, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Gilead Sciences; honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and travel support from CFF. ETZ reports grants from NIH, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and CFF (002884121); consulting fees from CFF; travel support from CFF, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and ECFS; and participation on boards for CFF and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. SCB reports grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia (APP1102494), the Medical Research Futures Fund Australia, and CFF (BELL1480 and BELL19A0); and honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. JCD reports grants from the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust (as part of their Clinical Trials Accelerator Platform), CFF, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research; and honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eloxx, Algipharma, Abbvie, Arcturus, Enterprise Therapeutics, Recode, LifeArc, Genentech, and Tavanta. JCD serves as Deputy Editor for the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. MWK reports grants from NIH (P01HL128192 and UL1TR002548) and CFF; consulting fees from AbbVie, AzurRx, Cystetic Medicines, EnBiotix, First Wave Biopharma, Insmed, Laurent Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, and PBM BC Holdings; board participation for AbbVie, CFF, First Wave Biopharma, Insmed, Laurent Pharmaceuticals, Sionna, and Vertex; and committee membership for CFF. MAM reports grants from the German Research Foundation (CRC 1449 project #431232613), the German Ministry for Education and Research (82DZL009B1), the German Innovation Fund, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; consulting fees from Abbvie, Antabio, Arrowhead, Boehringer Ingelheim, Enterprise Therapeutics, Kither Biotec, Prieris, Recode, Santhera, Splisense, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; travel support from Boehringer Ingelheim and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and participation on boards for Abbvie, Antabio, Arrowhead, Boehringer Ingelheim, Enterprise Therapeutics, Kither Biotec, Pari, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. EM reports grants from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; honoraria from Vertex Phamaceuticals; travel support from Menarini; and board participation for the Cystic Fibrosis Storm Clinical Trial, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Abbvie, and Insmed. JHR reports grants from Cystic Fibrosis Canada, CFF, Vertex Phamaceuticals, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; consulting fees from Sanofi; and travel support from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. SMR reports grant funding from CFF (P30DK072482), NIH (UL1TR003096), Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Galapagos/Abbvie, Eloxx, Synspira, Translate Bio, Arcturus, Astra-Zenica, and Ionis; and consulting fees from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Synspira (including stock options), Renovion (including stock options), Cystetic Medicines, and Arcturus. SMR's potential competing interests were resolved or ended in 2022 or earlier. JLT-C reports grants and contracts from CFF, Vertex Pharmaceutics, Eloxx, and 4DMT; consulting fees from Vertex Phamaceuticals, Insmed, and 4DMT; participation on a DSMB for Abbvie; and participation on advisory boards for CFF, ATS, Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and Emily's Entourage. GR-B reports grants and contracts from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CFF. DGD reports grants from Chiesi Farmaceutici and CFF; consulting fees from Vertex and Insmed; honoraria from Chiesi and Gilead; travel support from ECFS and CFF; board participation for Momab and CSL Behring; and support from ECFS as director of the Clinical Trials Network. MJ, NRK, TL, KP, JMP, and LQ declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cystic fibrosis is a multiorgan disease caused by impaired function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Since the introduction of the CFTR modulator combination elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI), which acts directly on mutant CFTR to enhance its activity, most people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) have seen pronounced reductions in symptoms, and studies project marked increases in life expectancy for pwCF who are eligible for ETI. However, modulator therapy has not cured cystic fibrosis and the success of CFTR modulators has resulted in immediate questions about the new state of cystic fibrosis disease and clinical challenges in the care of pwCF. In this Series paper, we summarise key questions about cystic fibrosis disease in the era of modulator therapy, highlighting state-of-the-art research and clinical practices, knowledge gaps, new challenges faced by pwCF and the potential for future health-care challenges, and the pressing need for additional therapies to treat the underlying genetic or molecular causes of cystic fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests KBH reports funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), outside of the submitted work. SEB reports funding from NIH NHLBI and CFF, outside of the submitted work. DGD reports funding from Chiesi Farmaceutici and CFF to Queen's University Belfast; consulting fees from Vertex and Insmed; honoraria from Chiesi and Gilead; support for travel from the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) and CFF; and participation on data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) for Nomab trial and CSL Behring, outside of the submitted work. DGD is Director of the ECFS Clinical Trials Network. JFE reports funding from NIH NHLBI and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (R01 HL165404, RC2 DK124207, and NHLBI Contract 75N92019C00010) paid to the University of Iowa, outside of the submitted work. IF reports funding from AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Insmed, Vertex, and ECFS to AP-HP-Université Paris Cité; and honoraria from AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vertex, and Kither Biotech, outside of the submitted work. RDG reports honoraria for lectures from Vertex, outside of the submitted work. NM-H reports funding from CFF, NIH, and the Food and Drug Administration to Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington; consulting fees from Enterprise Therapeutics; and honoraria for NIH DSMB participation, outside of the submitted work. CEW reports editorial support from Articulate Science outside of the submitted work; income on a per-patient basis to the University of Queensland for participation in pharmaceutical studies; participating on steering committees and international advisory boards for Vertex; and participation as a consultant and presenter at several medical education events sponsored by Vertex, outside of the submitted work. CEW has served as an Associate Editor for Respirology and Associate Editor for Thorax. KDB reports consulting fees from Arcturus, Splisense, Translate Bio, and Vertex; and honoraria from Vertex, outside of the submitted work. JPC, MEL-S, PT, and KLT declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the feasibility of enrolling people with CF (pwCF) taking the CFTR modulator elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) in clinical trials of a new modulator., Methods: PwCF receiving ETI at CHEC-SC study (NCT03350828) enrollment were surveyed for interest in 2-week to 6-month placebo- (PC) and active-comparator (AC) modulator studies. Those taking inhaled antimicrobials (inhABX) were surveyed for interest in PC inhABX studies., Results: Of 1791 respondents, 75% [95% CI 73, 77] would enroll in a 2-week PC modulator study versus 51% [49, 54] for a 6-month study; 82% [81, 84] and 63% [61, 65] would enroll in 2-week and 6 month AC studies; 77% [74, 80] of 551 taking inhABX would enroll in a 2-week PC inhABX study versus 59% [55, 63] for a 6-month study. Previous clinical trial experience increased willingness., Conclusions: Study designs will affect feasibility of future clinical trials of new modulators and inhABX in people receiving ETI., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing or conflicting interests to report., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Although work to date in cystic fibrosis (CF) has elucidated frequencies and characteristics of adverse events, the accuracy of attribution of relatedness to study drug by investigators has not been assessed. We aimed to determine whether there was an association of attribution by group allocation in CF clinical trials., Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis from 4 CF trials of all persons who experienced an AE. Our primary outcome was the odds of an AE related to active study drug and predictor of interest was the treatment allocation. We constructed a multivariable generalized estimating equation model allowing for repeated measures., Results: A total of 785 subjects (47.5% female, mean age 12 years) had 11,974 AEs, of which 430 were serious. AE attribution was greater with receipt of active study drug as compared to placebo but did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.98-1.82). Significantly associated factors included female sex (OR 0.58, 95% 0.39-0.87), age (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.46) and baseline lung function (per 10%, OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.28)., Conclusion: In our large study, there was a non-significant but greater odds of AE attribution (a key element of clinical trial reporting) to active study drug based on assigned treatment to study drug or control which suggests that there is a trend in physicians to attribute blinded safety data to the active drug. Interestingly, females were less likely to have AE attribution to study drug and warrants further work in development and validation of monitoring guidelines and processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Reducing treatment burden is a priority for people with cystic fibrosis, whose health has benefited from using new modulators that substantially increase CFTR protein function. The SIMPLIFY study aimed to assess the effects of discontinuing nebulised hypertonic saline or dornase alfa in individuals using the CFTR modulator elexacaftor plus tezacaftor plus ivacaftor (ETI)., Methods: The SIMPLIFY study included two parallel, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trials at 80 participating clinics across the USA in the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network. We included individuals with cystic fibrosis aged 12-17 years with percent predicted FEV 1 (ppFEV 1 ) of 70% or more, or those aged 18 years or older with ppFEV 1 of 60% or more, if they had been taking ETI and either (or both) mucoactive therapies (≥3% hypertonic saline or dornase alfa) for at least 90 days before screening. Participants on both hypertonic saline and dornase alfa were randomly assigned to one of the two trials, and those on a single therapy were assigned to the applicable trial. All participants were then randomly assigned 1:1 to continue or discontinue therapy for 6 weeks using permuted blocks of varying size, stratified by baseline ppFEV 1 (week 0; ≥90% or <90%), single or concurrent use of hypertonic saline and dornase alfa, previous SIMPLIFY study participation (yes or no), and age (≥18 or <18 years). For participants randomly assigned to continue their therapy during a given trial, this therapy was instructed to be taken at least once daily according to each participant's pre-existing, clinically prescribed regimen. Hypertonic saline concentration was required to be at least 3%. The primary objective for each trial was to determine whether discontinuing was non-inferior to continuing, measured by the 6-week change in ppFEV 1 in the per-protocol population. We established a non-inferiority margin of -3% for the difference between groups in the 6-week change in ppFEV 1 . Safety outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04378153., Findings: From Aug 25, 2020, to May 25, 2022, a total of 672 unique participants were screened for eligibility for one or both trials, resulting in 847 total random assignments across both trials with 594 unique participants. 370 participants were randomly assigned in the hypertonic saline trial and 477 in the dornase alfa trial. Participants across both trials had an average ppFEV 1 of 96·9%. Discontinuing treatment was non-inferior to continuing treatment with respect to the absolute 6-week change in ppFEV 1 in both the hypertonic saline trial (-0·19% [95% CI -0·85 to 0·48] in the discontinuation group [n=133] vs 0·14% [-0·51 to 0·78] in the continuation group [n=140]; between-group difference -0·32% [-1·25 to 0·60]) and dornase alfa trial (0·18% [-0·38 to 0·74] in the discontinuation group [n=199] vs -0·16% [-0·73 to 0·41] in the continuation group [n=193]; between-group difference 0·35% [-0·45 to 1·14]), with consistent results in the intention-to-treat populations. In the hypertonic saline trial, 64 (35%) of 184 in the discontinuation group versus 44 (24%) of 186 participants in the continuation group and, in the dornase alfa trial, 89 (37%) of 240 in the discontinuation group versus 55 (23%) of 237 in the continuation group had at least one adverse event., Interpretation: In individuals with cystic fibrosis on ETI with relatively well preserved pulmonary function, discontinuing daily hypertonic saline or dornase alfa for 6 weeks did not result in clinically meaningful differences in pulmonary function when compared with continuing treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests GR-B reports grants and contracts from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). SHD reports contracts from AstraZeneca, Calithera, CFF, US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vertex Pharmaceuticals; consulting fees from Polarean, 501 Ventures, and Chiesi USA; fees for advisory boards for Enterprise Therapeutics and Gilead Sciences; and participation on a data safety monitoring board (DSMB) for Abbvie and Boehringer Ingleheim. JLT-C reports grants and contracts from CFF, Vertex Pharmaceutics, Eloxx, and 4DMT; consulting fees from Vertex Phamaceuticals, Insmed, and 4DMT; participation on a DSMB for Abbvie; and serving on an advisory board for CFF, American Thoracic Society (ATS), Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, and Emily's Entourage. KAR reports grants from CFF; royalties from Springer Publishing; honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and serving on an advisory board for ATS. AB reports grants from the CFF for Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) studies. FR reports grants from Vertex Phamaceuticals and consulting fees from Vertex Phamaceuticals, Proteostasis, Translate Bio, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Calithera. JKY reports grants from CFF. SM reports grants from CFF to support TDN studies. DPN reports grants from CFF and NIH; consulting fees from BiomX, Clarametyx, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Nabriva, Respirion, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and advisory board membership for CFF and Kither Biotechnology. DR reports grants and contracts from CFF and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. AHG reports grants and contracts from CFF, Insmed, AbbVie, and 4D Molecular Therapeutics. GSS reports advisory board participation for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences. CHG reports grants and contracts from CFF, NIH, and the US Food and Drug Administration; consulting fees from Enterprise Therapeutics; and honoraria from Gilead Sciences, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vertex Phamaceuticals, and stock options in Aer Therapeutics. JPC reports employment at the CFF. NM-H reports grants from CFF, NIH, and US Food and Drug Administration; consulting fees from Enterprise Therapeutics; and DSMB membership for the NIH. BPO, KO-D, AHG, GO, CA, RR, and KM declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: CHEC-SC is an ongoing epidemiologic study characterizing modulator-induced sweat chloride (SC) responses across the CF population, with interim results available prior to the availability of triple combination modulator therapy., Methods: Eligible participants had been prescribed a modulator for ≥90 days with re-enrollment allowed upon establishment of a new modulator. Pre-modulator SC values were obtained from chart review; post-modulator sweat was collected and analyzed locally. SC changes were descriptively summarized with biologic sex effects adjusted for age, weight, and CFTR genotype. Heterogeneity in ivacaftor SC response was characterized in relation to published CFTR functional responses., Results: 1848 participants provided 2004 SC measurements, 26.2% on ivacaftor, 39.1% on lumacaftor/ivacaftor, and 34.7% on tezacaftor/ivacaftor. Average SC changes for all modulators were consistent with those reported in previous clinical studies, with greater variation in SC response observed among rarer mutations and notable shifts in the proportion with SC <60mmol/L independent of the magnitude of SC change. Ivacaftor induced in vitro CFTR functional change was significantly correlated with ivacaftor-modulated SC response (Pearson correlation= ‒0.52, 95% CI: ‒0.773, ‒0.129). Average SC change from ivacaftor to tezacaftor/ivacaftor was ‒4.9 mmol/L (n=17,95% CI:‒9.3, ‒0.5) and differed from those switching from lumacaftor/ivacaftor (10.0 mmol/L, n=139, 95% CI:7.8,12.3). Sex at birth was not associated with SC response., Conclusions: CHEC-SC is the largest study characterizing modulator-induced SC changes across the CF population. There was a strong association between ivacaftor induced in vitro CFTR function and SC response across a genotypically heterogenous cohort. Biological sex was not associated with SC response., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement NMH serves as a consultant through her institution in her role as Executive Director of the CF Therapeutics Development Network Coordinating Center (CF TDNCC) and has received personal consulting fees from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. She has received grant funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). DRV has received personal consulting fees from AbbVie, Albumedix, AN2, Aradigm, Armata, Arrevus, Calithera, Chiesi USA, Cipla, Corbus, CFF, Eloxx, Enbiotix, Eveo, Galephar, Horizon, IBF, ICON clinical sciences, Ionis, Kala, Merck, Microbion, NDA, Protalix, PTC, Pulmocide, Recida, Savara, Vast, and VRTX. MWK has received personal consulting fees for advisory board participation, grant support to his institution for clinical trial participation, and non-financial support from VRTX, Savara, Laurent, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, PTC, and AzurRx. He has received personal consulting fees and non-financial support from Chiesi, Celtaxsys, Merck, and Kala. Personal consulting fees were received from Albumedix, Paranta, Protalix, Santhera, pH Pharma, Novartis, Ionis, the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Food and Drug Administration. SMR reports grants and personal fees from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Bayer, grants from Translate Bio, grants and non-financial support from Proteostasis, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Galapagos/Abbvie, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Synedgen/Synspira, grants from Eloxx, grants from Celtaxsys, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, personal fees and non-financial support from Renovion, grants and personal fees from Arrowhead, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Ionis, grants from Astra Zenica, personal fees from Cystetic Medicines, outside the submitted work. ETZ reports grants and personal consulting fees from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation during the conduct of the study., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Chronic azithromycin improves outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF), but its mechanism of action is unclear. The OPTIMIZE trial demonstrated improvement in time to first pulmonary exacerbation in children with new Pseudomonas treated with azithromycin. Azithromycin effect on systemic markers of inflammation over 18 months was assessed by change from baseline for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, calprotectin and absolute neutrophil count in the OPTIMIZE population. Subjects treated with chronic azithromycin or placebo had samples collected at baseline, 39 and 78 weeks of treatment. In 129 subjects, a significant decrease in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was present at 39 weeks in the azithromycin group compared to placebo, but no significant difference between the groups at 78 weeks. No differences in change from baseline in myeloperoxidase, calprotectin or absolute neutrophil count were present at either time point. This supports the concept of a transient immunomodulatory effect for chronic azithromycin therapy in children with CF., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Improved methods are needed to risk-stratify patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and reduced FEV 1 ., Research Questions: What are the predictors of death or lung transplantation (LTx) within 2 years among patients with CF whose FEV 1  ≤ 50% predicted? Do these markers similarly predict outcomes among G551D patients taking ivacaftor since 2012?, Study Design and Methods: Patients with CF, age ≥ 6 years with FEV 1  ≤ 50% predicted as of December 31, 2014, were identified in a data set that merged Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registries. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied to a randomly selected training set to select important prognostic variables. Accuracy and association of the model with death or LTx with 2 years (2-year death or LTx) were validated via logistic regression on an independent test set. Sensitivity analyses explored predictors for patients with UNOS data., Results: FEV 1 percent predicted (OR, 1.51 for 5% decrease; 95% CI, 1.27-1.81), number of pulmonary exacerbations treated with IV antibiotics (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.11-1.65), and continuous or nocturnal oxygen (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.81-7.59) were significantly associated with 2-year death or LTx. Our model predicted outcomes with greater sensitivity (ratio of sensitivity, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.54), ratio of positive predictive value (1.25; 95% CI, 1.05-1.51), and ratio of negative predictive value (1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) than FEV 1 < 30% predicted. Among those taking ivacaftor in 2014, only FEV 1 remained associated with 2-year death or LTx. For patients with UNOS data, LASSO identified additional covariates of interest, including noninvasive ventilation use, low hemoglobin, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, FEV 1 percent predicted, and cardiac index., Interpretation: Among individuals with CF and FEV 1  ≤ 50% predicted, FEV 1 percent predicted, oxygen therapy, and number of pulmonary exacerbations predicted 2-year death or LTx. Although limited by small sample size, only FEV 1 remained predictive in patients receiving highly effective modulator therapy. Additional physiologic variables could improve prognostication in CF., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In 2017, Nkam et al. published a prognostic score to predict death or lung transplant within 3 years among adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Their model was developed using French CF registry data and was subsequently validated in the Canadian CF registry. We evaluated this prognostic score using data from adult patients with CF in the United States (US) CF Foundation Patient registry, combined with lung transplant records from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Registry (2013 to 2016) (n=11,542). We found that the prognostic score had a very good discriminative index predicting death or lung transplant in the US CF population (AUC 0.88, 95% CI 0.88-0.89) with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.83 (95% CI 2.69 - 2.97) for each unit increase in the score. However, it did not provide significant additional utility over an FEV 1 ≤30% of predicted as a predictor of death or lung transplant., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Given future challenges in conducting large randomized, placebo controlled trials for future CF therapeutics development, we evaluated the potential for using external historical controls to either enrich or replace traditional concurrent placebo groups in CF trials., Methods: The study included data from sequentially completed, randomized, controlled clinical trials, EPIC and OPTIMIZE respectively, evaluating optimal antibiotic therapy to reduce the risk of pulmonary exacerbation in children with early Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. The primary treatment effect in OPTIMIZE, the risk of pulmonary exacerbation associated with azithromycin, was re-estimated in alternative designs incorporating varying numbers of participants from the earlier trial (EPIC) as historical controls. Bias and precision of these estimates were characterized. Propensity scores were derived to adjust for baseline differences across study populations, and both Poisson and Cox regression were used to estimate treatment efficacy., Results: Replacing 86 OPTIMIZE placebo participants with 304 controls from EPIC to mimic a fully historically controlled trial resulted an 8% reduction in risk of pulmonary exacerbations (Hazard ratio (HR):0.92 95% CI 0.61, 1.34) when not adjusting for key baseline differences between study populations. After adjustment, a 37% decrease in risk of exacerbation (HR:0.63, 95% CI 0.50, 0.80) was estimated, comparable to the estimate from the original trial comparing the 86 placebo participants to 77 azithromycin participants on azithromycin (45%, HR:0.55, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.86). Other adjusted approaches provided similar estimates for the efficacy of azithromycin in reducing exacerbation risk: pooling all controls from both studies provided a HR of 0.60 (95% x`CI 0.46, 0.77) and augmenting half the OPTIMIZE placebo participants with EPIC controls gave a HR 0.63 (95% CI 0.48, 0.82)., Conclusions: The potential exists for future CF trials to utilize historical control data. Careful consideration of both the comparability of controls and of optimal methods can reduce the potential for biased estimation of treatment effects., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest ASM, MW and GZRB received funding from the NIH during the conduct of this research. GZRB additionally received funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. BWR has received personal fees from Cystetic Medicines and Vetex Pharmaceuticals for serving as a member of Scientific Advisory Committees., (Copyright © 2021 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Characterizing CFTR Modulated Changes in Sweat Chloride and their Association with Clinical Outcomes (CHEC-SC) study is a large epidemiologic study designed to determine the relationship between sweat chloride response and clinical outcomes in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) on commercially approved CFTR modulators. A challenge to study feasibility was capturing sweat chloride measurements before modulator initiation. We tested the hypothesis that historic sweat chloride approximated contemporary pre-modulator values to estimate CFTR modulator-induced changes, allowing a single-visit study design., Methods: GOAL and PROSPECT were multi-center prospective studies of individuals initiating ivacaftor or lumacaftor-ivacaftor. At enrollment, pre-modulator sweat chloride was measured and historic results recorded. Post-modulator sweat chloride was measured at 1, 3 and 6 months. For this analysis, differences between historic and pre-modulator sweat chloride were estimated. CFTR modulator-induced sweat chloride mean changes were compared using historic and pre-modulator sweat chloride., Results: Paired historic and pre-modulator sweat chloride (n=406 participants) revealed a non-significant mean change of -1.0 mmol/L (95% CI: -2.71, 0.66) over an average of 17.2 years. Calculating sweat response to ivacaftor or lumacaftor-ivacaftor using historic or pre-modulator values resulted in similar estimates of modulator response. Based on these results, the CHEC-SC study was designed with a single, post-modulator sweat chloride measurement., Conclusions: Historic sweat chloride values provide a reliable estimate of pre-modulator sweat chloride for people starting on modulator therapy. The CHEC-SC study anticipates capturing approximately 5,000 sweat chloride values, providing an unprecedented understanding of sweat chloride across the CF population in the era of CFTR modulators., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ETZ, NMH, DRV, SMR, MWK: grants or consulting CFF; DRV consults for aMoon, Arrevus, Eloxx, Enbiotix, Felix, Ionis, Matinas, Merck, Polyphor, Respirion, Savara; SMR consults for Vertex; MWK consults for Anthera, AzurRx, Celtaxsys, Chiesi, Ionis, Kala, Laurent, Merck, Paranta, pH Pharma, Santhera, Vertex; JPC, KOD and MS: none., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) global pandemic significantly impacted CF clinical research within the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Development Network (CFF TDN). A Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) survey was developed and sent to network sites to monitor and understand the impact on research teams, ongoing and anticipated clinical research, and specific clinical and research procedures. Key findings indicated an early impact on participant enrollment, research team stability, and procedures such as spirometry and sputum induction. These trends steadily improved over the months as research activities began to recover across the TDN. While SARS-CoV-2 created a significant challenge it also highlights new opportunities to expand CF research with greater focus on data collection outside of research centers and increased access for remote participation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest NMH has received grant funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). CHG reports grant funding from CFF, European Commission, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Research Resources, Gilead Sciences, Novartis, NIH, Food and Drug Administration, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. None of the work presented in this short communication was influenced by the funding sources reported by CHG. KP, GZRB, JMVD, PB, DR., JPC, AH, and DPN have nothing to disclose related to this work., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic Azithromycin (AZM) is a common treatment for lung infection. Among adults at risk of cardiac events, AZM use has been associated with cardiovascular harm. We assessed cardiovascular safety of AZM among children with CF, as a secondary analysis of a placebo-controlled, clinical trial, in which study drug was taken thrice-weekly for a planned 18 months. Safety assessments using electrocardiogram (ECG) occurred at study enrollment, and then after 3 weeks and 18 months of participation. Among 221 study participants with a median of 18 months follow-up, increased corrected QT interval (QTc) of ≥30 msec was rare, at 3.4 occurrences per 100 person-years; and incidence of QTc prolongation was no higher in the AZM arm than the placebo arm (1.8 versus 5.4 per 100 person-years). No persons experienced QTc intervals above 500 msec. Long-term chronic AZM use was not associated with increased QT prolongation., (Copyright © 2020 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: We recognize an unprecedented opportunity to study the effects of withdrawing one or more chronic treatments in people with CF (PwCF) who benefit greatly from CFTR modulator therapy, but feasibility and acceptance of such a study within the community is unknown., Methods: We surveyed PwCF, their families, and their acquaintances between November 16, 2018, and December 2, 2018, and CF clinicians between December 19, 2018, and January 2, 2019, about treatment withdrawal research. We sought feedback from these groups about their level of interest in this research, the consistency with which they were taking modulator and non-modulator treatments, the ways in which they conceptualized health changes, and what chronic non-modulator treatments they were most interested in stopping. We also asked for stakeholder perspectives on the design of a treatment withdrawal trial, but we intend to report these perspectives elsewhere., Results: Eighty percent (541/675) of CF community respondents and 95% (206/218) of CF clinicians said that a trial of treatment simplification should be performed in the context of highly effective modulator therapy. Most current CFTR modulator users (292/359, 81%) have not stopped another chronic treatment. Worsening lung function by spirometry or increased daily symptoms were important health indicators. PwCF, their families, and/or their acquaintances ranked airway clearance techniques and inhaled antibiotics as the most burdensome treatments., Conclusions: There is considerable support among the CF community and CF clinicians in the U.S. for controlled trials to assess the safety and impact of treatment simplification in patients taking highly effective modulator therapy., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement Dr. Alex H. Gifford has received grant funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Dr. Nicole Mayer-Hamblett has no conflicts of interest to declare. Ms. Kelsie Pearson has no conflicts of interest to declare. Dr. David P. Nichols has received grant funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

As CFTR modulator therapy transforms the landscape of cystic fibrosis (CF) care, its lack of uniform access across the globe combined with the shift towards a new standard of care creates unique challenges for the development of future CF therapies. The advancement of a full and promising CF therapeutics pipeline remains a necessary priority to ensure maximal clinical benefits for all people with CF. It is through collaboration across the global CF community that we can optimize the evaluation and approval process of new therapies. To this end, we must identify areas for which harmonization is lacking and for which efficiencies can be gained to promote ethical, feasible, and credible study designs amidst the changing CF care landscape. This article summarizes the counsel from core advisors across multiple international regions and clinical trial networks, developed during a one-day workshop in October 2019. The goal of the workshop was to identify, in consideration of the highly transitional era of CFTR modulator availability, the drug development areas for which global alignment is currently uncertain, and paths forward that will enable advancement of CF therapeutic development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest NMH serves as a consultant through her institution in her role as Executive Director of the CF Therapeutics Development Network Coordinating Center (CF TDNCC) and has received personal consulting fees from Kala Pharmaceuticals and Calithera. She has received grant funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). SvKR has received personal consulting fees from Antabio, Proteostasis Therapeutics (PTI), and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX). She has received grant support to her institution for her participation in the European Union HORIZON 2020 work. DPN serves as a consultant through his institution in his role as Medical Director of CF TDNCC. He has received grant support to his Institution from the CFF and Gilead Sciences. DRV has received personal consulting fees from AbbVie, Albumedix, AN2, Aradigm, Armata, Arrevus, Calithera, Chiesi USA, Cipla, Corbus, CFF, Eloxx, Enbiotix, Eveo, Galephar, Horizon, IBF, ICON clinical sciences, Ionis, Kala, Merck, Microbion, NDA, Protalix, PTC, Pulmocide, Recida, Savara, Vast, and VRTX. JCD has received other support from Aligipharma AS, Bayer AG, BI, Galapagos NV, ImevaX GmbH, Nivalis Therapeutics, ProQR Therapeutics, PTI, Raptor Pharamceuticals, VRTX, Enterprise, Novartis, Pulmocide, Flately and Teva for advisory board and educational activities. She has received grant support from the CF Trust. TL has received personal fees from Alan Boyd Consultants, Ltd for his participation in DSMB activities. FAR has received personal consulting fees from Novartis, Bayer, Roche, and Genentech for participation in CF related consulting activities. He has received grant support to his institution from VRTX for his participation as site PI in multicenter trials which they have funded as well as personal consulting fees. MWK has received personal consulting fees for advisory board participation, grant support to his institution for clinical trial participation, and non-financial support from VRTX, Savara, Laurent, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, PTC, and AzurRx. He has received personal consulting fees and non-financial support from Chiesi, Celtaxsys, Merck, and Kala. Personal consulting fees were received from Albumedix, Paranta, Protalix, Santhera, pH Pharma, Novartis, Ionis, the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Food and Drug Administration. Grant support was provided to his Institution by NIH. Grant support was provided to his Institution by Anthera as well as personal consulting fees. SCB has received support from VRTX, Galapagos, and AbbVie for his participation in advisory boards and as site PI in multicenter trials which they have funded. JLTC has received personal consulting fees from Gilead Sciences, Protalix, and Santhera for participation in advisory board activities. She has received grant support to her institution from PTI, Celtaxsys, and VRTX as well as personal consulting fees for advisory activities. Grant support to her institution for her participation as site PI in a multicenter trial which they have funded from Eloxx. KDB has received consulting fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim (BI), Protalix Biotherapeutics, Raptor Pharmaceuticals, Novabiotics, Eloxx Pharmaceutics, Galapagos, and Chiesi. She has received speaker fees from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and serves on the Steering Committee and Advisory Board for VRTX. DGD has received consulting fees from VRTX and consulting fees as well as grant support from PTI and Chiesi. PAF has received personal consulting fees from the Food and Drug Administration, Polyphor, and Santhera. He has received personal consulting fees and grant support from CFF, PTI, Savara, and VRTX. He has received grant support from NIH, Novartis, Novoteris, and Sound Pharmaceuticals. PD has received personal consulting fees from VRTX, PTI, and Actelion Pharmaceuticals. He has also received support for his participation as site PI in multicenter trials funded by Corbus Pharmaceuticals and VRTX. CHG has received grant funding from CFF, NIH, the European Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. He has also received honoraria from Gilead Sciences for grant reviews, honoraria from VRTX and Mylan for invited talks, and BI for participation as a PI in a multicenter trial in CF that they have funded. IF has received consulting fees and support from PTI, VRTX and BI for her participation in advisory boards as well as site PI in multicenter trials which they have funded. She has received support from Corbus Pharmaceuticals for participation as site PI in multicenter trials which they have funded ASM has received grant support to her Institution from CFF. BSQ has received grant support to his institution from the Cystic Fibrosis Canada, CFF, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, BC Lung Association, and Gilead Sciences. GZRB's institution has received support from the CFF, NIH and VRTX. for his participation as site PI in multicenter trials which they have funded. AGD, KP, JPC, SHD, SMS, and JMVD have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Rationale: The prevalence of adults living with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have early-stage lung disease is increasing., Objectives: Describe the prevalence and evaluate spirometric risk factors associated with the subgroup of patients with early-stage lung disease and FEV 1 decline of ≥5% predicted/year., Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients ≥18 years with FEV 1 % predicted ≥80% included in the US CF Foundation Patient Registry from 2010-2013. Regression models were developed to estimate FEV 1 rate of decline. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to assess if spirometric risk factors were associated with FEV 1 decline., Measurements and Main Results: 3,029 subjects were in the study cohort. Approximately 15% of the cohort had a substantial decline in lung function ≥5% predicted/year. In multivariable models adjusted for confounders, FEV 1 /FVC ratio <0.8 (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31 to 2.02) and history of FEV 1 % predicted variability (OR 2.35,95%CI 1.74 to 3.18) were associated with rapid lung function decline., Conclusions: Even among adults with early-stage lung disease, approximately 15% are shown to progress and experience a large decline in lung function. This reinforces the concept that lung function in early-stage CF is not normal or mild. Rather, lung function decline may be delayed, but not avoided, in these individuals. Variability in FEV 1 % predicted and airway obstruction as measured by FEV1/FVC ratio may identify individuals at increased risk of decline. Adults with early-stage lung disease should be followed in clinic to monitor for onset of decline., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest DJP and SJM are employees of ICON Clinical Research, which was paid by The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for providing analytical services for this study. ECD has received honoraria from Gilead Sciences and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. DBS has received honoraria from Vertex Pharmaceuticals., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The past six decades have seen remarkable improvements in health outcomes for people with cystic fibrosis, which was once a fatal disease of infants and young children. However, although life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis has increased substantially, the disease continues to limit survival and quality of life, and results in a large burden of care for people with cystic fibrosis and their families. Furthermore, epidemiological studies in the past two decades have shown that cystic fibrosis occurs and is more frequent than was previously thought in populations of non-European descent, and the disease is now recognised in many regions of the world. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission on the future of cystic fibrosis care was established at a time of great change in the clinical care of people with the disease, with a growing population of adult patients, widespread genetic testing supporting the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, and the development of therapies targeting defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which are likely to affect the natural trajectory of the disease. The aim of the Commission was to bring to the attention of patients, health-care professionals, researchers, funders, service providers, and policy makers the various challenges associated with the changing landscape of cystic fibrosis care and the opportunities available for progress, providing a blueprint for the future of cystic fibrosis care. The discovery of the CFTR gene in the late 1980s triggered a surge of basic research that enhanced understanding of the pathophysiology and the genotype-phenotype relationships of this clinically variable disease. Until recently, available treatments could only control symptoms and restrict the complications of cystic fibrosis, but advances in CFTR modulator therapies to address the basic defect of cystic fibrosis have been remarkable and the field is evolving rapidly. However, CFTR modulators approved for use to date are highly expensive, which has prompted questions about the affordability of new treatments and served to emphasise the considerable gap in health outcomes for patients with cystic fibrosis between high-income countries, and low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Advances in clinical care have been multifaceted and include earlier diagnosis through the implementation of newborn screening programmes, formalised airway clearance therapy, and reduced malnutrition through the use of effective pancreatic enzyme replacement and a high-energy, high-protein diet. Centre-based care has become the norm in high-income countries, allowing patients to benefit from the skills of expert members of multidisciplinary teams. Pharmacological interventions to address respiratory manifestations now include drugs that target airway mucus and airway surface liquid hydration, and antimicrobial therapies such as antibiotic eradication treatment in early-stage infections and protocols for maintenance therapy of chronic infections. Despite the recent breakthrough with CFTR modulators for cystic fibrosis, the development of novel mucolytic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infective therapies is likely to remain important, especially for patients with more advanced stages of lung disease. As the median age of patients with cystic fibrosis increases, with a rapid increase in the population of adults living with the disease, complications of cystic fibrosis are becoming increasingly common. Steps need to be taken to ensure that enough highly qualified professionals are present in cystic fibrosis centres to meet the needs of ageing patients, and new technologies need to be adopted to support communication between patients and health-care providers. In considering the future of cystic fibrosis care, the Commission focused on five key areas, which are discussed in this report: the changing epidemiology of cystic fibrosis (section 1); future challenges of clinical care and its delivery (section 2); the building of cystic fibrosis care globally (section 3); novel therapeutics (section 4); and patient engagement (section 5). In panel 1, we summarise key messages of the Commission. The challenges faced by all stakeholders in building and developing cystic fibrosis care globally are substantial, but many opportunities exist for improved care and health outcomes for patients in countries with established cystic fibrosis care programmes, and in LMICs where integrated multidisciplinary care is not available and resources are lacking at present. A concerted effort is needed to ensure that all patients with cystic fibrosis have access to high-quality health care in the future., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Lumacaftor-ivacaftor (LUM-IVA) was approved in the US in 2015 for patients with CF aged >12 homozygous for the delF508 mutation, and patients aged 6 to 12 in 2016., Objectives: To examine the rate of initial LUM-IVA prescriptions following approval., Methods: We compared patients eligible for LUM-IVA in the CF Foundation Patient Registry with and without prescriptions in 2015-2016., Results: 5534 (53%) eligible patients had reported prescriptions. Prescription rate in children ages 6-11 was 19% and 61% among patients ≥12 years old. Individuals ≥12 with prescriptions more likely observed among those with private insurance, clinical trial participation, ages 18-30, FEV 1  < 90%, more pulmonary exacerbations, and more use of chronic medications., Conclusions: LUM-IVA uptake was less rapid than what was previously observed for ivacaftor, a CFTR modulator approved for a different population. Age, insurance status, disease severity and use of other therapies differed in those prescribed LUM-IVA in the initial post-approval period., (Copyright © 2018 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) airways infection, exuberant local inflammation, and progressive lung function loss are hallmarks of cystic fibrosis (CF). KB001-A is an anti-PcrV PEGylated monoclonal antibody fragment to the Type III secretion system of Pa. This 16-week study evaluated KB001-A associated effect on time-to-need for antibiotics for worsening respiratory signs and symptoms, as well as safety, and treatment-associated changes in symptom scores, inflammatory markers, and spirometry., Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeat-dose study in CF subjects with Pa. Intravenous 10mg/kg KB001-A or placebo infusions were administered at baseline and weeks 2, 4, 8, and 16, with a 4-week follow-up. Sputum inflammatory markers were assessed in a sub-study. Time-to-need for antibiotics was compared between groups by Kaplan Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling adjusting for randomization strata., Results: Of 182 subjects, 169 received at least one infusion of KB001-A (n=83) or placebo (n=86). KB001-A was generally safe and well-tolerated as compared to placebo, with no significant emergent adverse effects other than one serious adverse event of elevated hepatic enzymes of unclear etiology. Time to need for antibiotics did not differ between groups (HR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.45, p=0.995). A 3.2 increase in ppFEV 1 from placebo favoring KB001-A was observed at week 16 (95% CI: 1.12, 5.30, p=0.003). Mean changes from baseline in log 10 sputum neutrophil elastase (NE) had a non-significant decrease (-0.27, 95% CI: -0.58,0.04, p=0.084) while IL-8 concentrations at week 16 were significantly lower (-0.27, 95% CI: -0.55,0.00, p=0.048) among KB001-A subjects (n=16) relative to placebo (n=13)., Conclusions: KB001-A was safe and well-tolerated and associated with a modest FEV 1 benefit and reduction in select sputum inflammatory markers (IL-8). KB001-A was not associated with an increased time to need for antibiotics. The lack of efficacy seen with KB001-A may be due, in part, to the low levels of the type III secretion proteins previously reported in sputum of CF patients chronically infected with Pa., (Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) experience variable lung disease phenotypes. The R117H mutation is often associated with preserved lung function. Our objective was to compare the rate of lung function decline in patients with the R117H mutation and patients homozygous for the F508del mutation., Methods: Rate of decline in percentage-of-predicted FEV 1 (ppFEV 1 ) was analyzed using the 2006-2010 US CF Foundation Patient Registry., Results: 4-year rate of decline was slower in 156 R117H patients compared with 6251 F508del patients (-0.61 vs -2.03 ppFEV 1 /year, P<0.001). Rates of decline in children were slower in R117H vs F508del patients (6-12-year-olds: +0.73 vs -1.91 ppFEV 1 /year, P<0.001 and 13-17-year-olds: -1.55 vs -2.66 ppFEV 1 /year, P=0.046), whereas rates in adults were not significantly different (18-24-year-olds: -1.52 vs -2.12, P=0.26 and ≥25-year-olds: -1.17 vs -1.40, P=0.33)., Conclusions: These findings are consistent with a delayed onset, but ultimately similar progression, of lung disease in R117H compared with homozygous F508del patients., (Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: New CFTR modulators are in development that sponsors anticipate will be comparable or superior to approved modulators. Testing these agents for efficacy will require either placebo-controlled or active-comparator trials., Methods: We surveyed US CF physicians and their patients eligible to receive approved modulators or their families for willingness to participate in placebo-controlled modulator trials of varying duration., Results: Interest in placebo-controlled trials of short duration (2-4weeks) was greatest, with few respondents, particularly among patient respondents, willing to consider 6month studies. Patients/families with access to approved modulators were consistently less interested in placebo-controlled modulator trials of any duration., Conclusions: Sample size and interpretability advantages of placebo-controlled trials outweigh alternative active-comparator trials, but must consider physician and patient thresholds for forgoing treatment with approved modulators. Enrollment will be most feasible for short-duration trials and those conducted among populations without access to approved modulators., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Lung transplantation (LTx) is frequently considered for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) when the FEV 1 reaches < 30%. This study estimated transplant-free survival for patients with CF and an FEV 1  < 30% and identified predictors of death without LTx., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the CF Foundation Patient Registry from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2013. Adult patients (≥ 18 years) with FEV 1  < 30% prior to LTx were included. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival estimates censored at LTx. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression identified predictors of mortality., Results: There were 3,340 patients with an FEV 1  < 30%. Death without LTx occurred in 1,250 patients (37.4%); 951 patients (28.5%) underwent LTx; 918 patients (27.5%) remained alive without LTx at the end of follow-up; and 221 patients (6.6%) were lost to follow-up. Median transplant-free survival after FEV 1  < 30% was 6.6 years (95% CI, 5.9-7.0). Adjusted predictors of death without LTx included supplemental oxygen use (hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; 95% CI, 1.7-2.6), Burkholderia cepacia infection (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6), BMI ≤ 18 (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9), female sex (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0), CF-related diabetes in patients receiving insulin (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), and ≥ one exacerbation per year (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2 vs. 0 exacerbations)., Conclusions: Median survival was > 6.5 years for patients with CF and an FEV 1  < 30%, exceeding prior survival estimates. There was substantial heterogeneity in survival, with some patients with CF dying soon after reaching this lung function threshold and others living for many years. For this reason, we conclude that FEV 1  < 30% remains an important marker of disease severity for patients with CF. Patients with a supplemental oxygen requirement or frequent exacerbations should have prompt referral because of their increased risk of death., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV 1 ) is an established marker of cystic fibrosis (CF) disease progression that is used to capture clinical course and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. The research community has established FEV 1 surveillance data through a variety of observational data sources such as patient registries, and there is a growing pipeline of new CF therapies demonstrated to be efficacious in clinical trials by establishing improvements in FEV 1 ., Results: In this review, we summarize from a statistical perspective the clinical relevance of FEV 1 based on its association with morbidity and mortality in CF, its role in epidemiologic studies of disease progression and comparative effectiveness, and its utility in clinical trials. In addition, we identify opportunities to advance epidemiologic research and the clinical development pipeline through further statistical considerations., Conclusions: Our understanding of CF disease course, therapeutics, and clinical care has evolved immensely in the past decades, in large part due to the thoughtful application of rigorous research methods and meaningful clinical endpoints such as FEV 1 . A continued commitment to conduct research that minimizes the potential for bias, maximizes the limited patient population, and harmonizes approaches to FEV 1 analysis while maintaining clinical relevance, will facilitate further opportunities to advance CF care., (Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The 24-week safety and efficacy of lumacaftor/ivacaftor combination therapy was shown in two randomised controlled trials (RCTs)-TRAFFIC and TRANSPORT-in patients with cystic fibrosis who were aged 12 years or older and homozygous for the F508del-CFTR mutation. We aimed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of extended lumacaftor/ivacaftor therapy in this group of patients in PROGRESS, the long-term extension of TRAFFIC and TRANSPORT., Methods: PROGRESS was a phase 3, parallel-group, multicentre, 96-week study of patients who completed TRAFFIC or TRANSPORT in 191 sites in 15 countries. Patients were eligible if they were at least 12 years old with cystic fibrosis and homozygous for the F508del-CFTR mutation. Exclusion criteria included any comorbidity or laboratory abnormality that, in the opinion of the investigator, might confound the results of the study or pose an additional risk in administering the study drug to the participant, history of drug intolerance, and history of poor compliance with the study drug. Patients who previously received active treatment in TRANSPORT or TRAFFIC remained on the same dose in PROGRESS. Patients who had received placebo in TRANSPORT or TRAFFIC were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive lumacaftor (400 mg every 12 h)/ivacaftor (250 mg every 12 h) or lumacaftor (600 mg once daily)/ivacaftor (250 mg every 12 h). The primary outcome was to assess the long-term safety of combined therapy. The estimated annual rate of decline in percent predicted FEV 1 (ppFEV 1 ) in treated patients was compared with that of a matched registry cohort. Efficacy analyses were based on modified intention-to-treat, such that data were included for all patients who were randomly assigned and received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01931839., Findings: Between Oct 24, 2013, and April 7, 2016, 1030 patients from the TRANSPORT and TRAFFIC studies enrolled in PROGRESS, and 1029 received at least one dose of study drug. 340 patients continued treatment with lumacaftor 400 mg every 12 h/ivacaftor 250 mg every 12 h; 176 patients who had received placebo in the TRANSPORT or TRAFFIC studies initiated treatment with lumacaftor 400 mg every 12 h/ivacaftor 250 mg every 12 h, the commercially available dose, for which data are presented. The most common adverse events were infective pulmonary exacerbations, cough, increased sputum, and haemoptysis. Modest blood pressure increases seen in TRAFFIC and TRANSPORT were also observed in PROGRESS. For patients continuing treatment, the mean change from baseline in ppFEV 1 was 0·5 (95% CI -0·4 to 1·5) at extension week 72 and 0·5 (-0·7 to 1·6) at extension week 96; change in BMI was 0·69 (0·56 to 0·81) at extension week 72 and 0·96 (0·81 to 1·11) at extension week 96. The annualised pulmonary exacerbation rate in patients continuing treatment through extension week 96 (0·65, 0·56 to 0·75) remained lower than the placebo rate in TRAFFIC and TRANSPORT. The annualised rate of ppFEV 1 decline was reduced in lumacaftor/ivacaftor-treated patients compared with matched controls (-1·33, -1·80 to -0·85 vs -2·29, -2·56 to -2·03). The efficacy and safety profile of the lumacaftor 600 mg once daily/ivacaftor 250 mg every 12 h groups was generally similar to that of the lumacaftor 400 mg every 12 h/ivacaftor 250 mg every 12 h groups., Interpretation: The long-term safety profile of lumacaftor/ivacaftor combination therapy was consistent with previous RCTs. Benefits continued to be observed with longer-term treatment, and lumacaftor/ivacaftor was associated with a 42% slower rate of ppFEV 1 decline than in matched registry controls., Funding: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To provide a review of the status of biomarkers in cystic fibrosis drug development, including regulatory definitions and considerations, a summary of biomarkers in current use with supportive data, current gaps, and future needs., Methods: Biomarkers are considered across several areas of CF drug development, including cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulation, infection, and inflammation., Results: Sweat chloride, nasal potential difference, and intestinal current measurements have been standardized and examined in the context of multicenter trials to quantify CFTR function. Detection and quantification of pathogenic bacteria in CF respiratory cultures (e.g.: Pseudomonas aeruginosa) are commonly used in early phase antimicrobial clinical trials, and to monitor safety of therapeutic interventions. Sputum (e.g.: neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase, calprotectin) and blood biomarkers (e.g.: C reactive protein, calprotectin, serum amyloid A) have had variable success in detecting response to inflammatory treatments., Conclusions: Biomarkers are used throughout the drug development process in CF, and many have been used in early phase clinical trials to provide proof of concept, detect drug bioactivity, and inform dosing for later-phase studies. Advances in the precision of current biomarkers, and the identification of new biomarkers with 'omics-based technologies, are needed to accelerate CF drug development., (Copyright © 2016 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Lung transplantation is an intervention that improves survival for adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Some patients with CF are never referred for lung transplant evaluation despite meeting physiologic criteria for referral., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of adult patients (≥18years of age) in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR), eligible for their first evaluation for lung transplantation during the years 2001-2008 based on FEV1<30% predicted in two consecutive years., Results: Within the CFFPR, 1240 patients met eligibility criteria. Eight hundred and nine (65.2%) were referred for lung transplant evaluation, and 431 (34.8%) were not referred. In a multivariable model, Medicaid insurance (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.29-2.47), older age (per 5year increase; OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13-1.39), lack of high school graduate education (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.42-3.64), and Burkholderia cepacia complex sputum culture positivity (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.50-4.12) were associated with non-referral, while number of pulmonary exacerbations (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.99) and supplemental oxygen use (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.43-0.81) were associated with increased referral., Conclusions: Despite meeting lung function criteria for lung transplant evaluation, 35% of patients with CF had not yet been referred to a lung transplant center. Predictors of non-referral included markers of low socioeconomic status, older age and B. cepacia complex sputum culture. Further work is needed to understand the outcomes for non-referred patients in order to refine referral recommendations in this population., (Copyright © 2015 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: High-dose ibuprofen (HDI) is a clinically beneficial anti-inflammatory regimen that may be a useful reagent to study induced sputum inflammatory marker changes over short study periods appropriate for early-phase CF clinical trials., Methods: We conducted a 28-day, open-label, randomized, controlled trial among 72 clinically stable CF subjects (FEV1≥40% predicted) randomized to HDI or routine care that assessed IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-1-β, free neutrophil elastase, and white cell counts with differentials change from baseline in induced sputum., Results: IL-6 was the only biomarker with significant within-group change: 0.13 log10 pg/mL mean reduction among ibuprofen-treated subjects (p=0.04); and no change in the control group. IL-6 change between groups was statistically significant (p=0.024). No other inflammatory biomarker differences were observed between groups after 28 days., Conclusion: Although we studied only one agent, HDI, these results suggest that one month may be inadequate to assess anti-inflammatory candidates using markers from induced sputum., (Copyright © 2015 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by airway infection and inflammation resulting in respiratory complications including hemoptysis. The objectives of this study were to characterize the risk of hemoptysis attributable to underlying disease and in the presence of standard of care therapy., Methods: This retrospective cohort study estimated hemoptysis rates overall and by relevant risk factors utilizing adverse event data from longitudinal prospective CF clinical trials., Results: Of the 1008 participants, 73% were ≤18 years old; of 929 with available spirometry, 27% had an FEV1<70% predicted. During the average 8.2 months of follow-up, 8% experienced ≥1 hemoptysis events (95% CI: 6%, 10%). Of the 125 events, 76% were mild in severity and only 9% were serious. Hemoptysis rates were greater among adults than children, those with FEV1<70% predicted, and participants infected with P. aeruginosa but not with S. aureus., Conclusions: Hemoptysis is a common adverse event among CF clinical trial participants, and particularly in adults with more severe lung disease. These results can be used to predict event occurrence in future clinical trials., (Copyright © 2015 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Physicians apply for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease/Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease exception points on a case-by-case basis to improve an individual patient's chances of receiving a liver transplant. This retrospective cohort study describes trends in the use of exceptions among the pediatric liver waitlist population with chronic liver disease. The cohort (n = 3728) included all children with a diagnosis of chronic liver disease listed in the United Network for Organ Sharing transplant database for first isolated liver transplant between February 27, 2002 and March 31, 2013. Exception score requests were common (34%); 90% of requests were approved. The rate of exception score requests in 2013 was five times that of 2002 (incident rate ratios [IRR] 5.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.19-8.63, p < 0.01). Patients of non-White race had exception score request rates 13% lower than patients of White race (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.98, p = 0.02). Older patients had lower rates of exception score requests than younger patients (p = 0.03). Request rates varied by region. Time spent at an active exception status nearly tripled the hazard rate for transplantation (hazard ratio = 2.90, 95% CI 2.62-3.21, p < 0.01). There is disparity in use of exceptions by race that is not explained by clinical disease severity, diagnosis, geography or other demographic factors., (© Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: CF infants often do not grow as expected which adversely affects later clinical outcomes, thus sensitive early measures of growth deficiency are important. This study compared attained growth for age with velocity standards to determine which better predicts growth deficits at 24 months of age., Methods: Growth deficiency in infancy based on weight and length velocity, and attained growth was calculated for 1992 infants in the US CF Foundation National Registry using the World Health Organization (WHO) and US growth standards. One, two and three month increments were used for calculating velocity and pooled for each age interval. Sensitivity and specificity of early indicators to predict growth deficiency at 24 months were calculated., Results: Observed prevalence of weight deficiency (<10th percentile) during the first year of life was 26.8% higher (95% CI=(25.6, 28.1%), p<0.001) on average when measured by attained weight for age than velocity. Attained weight for age at four months was a more sensitive predictor of diminished weight for age (<10th percentile) at 24 months (sensitivity=100%, 95% CI=(87, 100%)) than weight velocity (sensitivity=40%, 95% CI=(23, 59%)). Attained length at four months was more sensitive to detecting subsequent stunting (<10th percentile length for age) (77%, 95% CI=(62, 87%)) than length velocity (30%, 95% CI=(19, 45%))., Conclusions: In CF infancy, attained weight or length is more sensitive than velocity-based definitions for predicting subsequent diminished growth., (Copyright © 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current definitions of pulmonary exacerbation (PE) in cystic fibrosis are based on studies in participants with significant lung disease and may not reflect the spectrum of findings observed in younger patients with early lung disease., Methods: We used data from a recent trial assessing the efficacy of azithromycin in children to study signs and symptoms associated with PEs and related changes in lung function and weight., Results: While increased cough was present in all PEs, acute weight loss and reduction in oxygen saturation were not observed. Changes in lung function did not differ between subjects who did experience a PE and those who were exacerbation-free., Conclusions: Cough was the predominant symptom in CF patients with early lung disease experiencing a PE. There was no significant difference in mean 6-month change in lung function or weight among subjects with one or more exacerbations and those without an exacerbation., (© 2013.)

Background: Acute pulmonary exacerbations are central events in the lives of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Pulmonary exacerbations lead to impaired lung function, worse quality of life, and shorter survival. We hypothesized that aggressive early treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbation may improve clinical outcomes., Purpose: Describe the rationale of an ongoing trial designed to determine the efficacy of home monitoring of both lung function measurements and symptoms for early detection and subsequent early treatment of acute CF pulmonary exacerbations., Study Design: A randomized, non-blinded, multi-center trial in 320 individuals with CF aged 14 years and older. The study compares usual care to a twice a week assessment of home spirometry and CF respiratory symptoms using an electronic device with data transmission to the research personnel to identify and trigger early treatment of CF pulmonary exacerbation. Participants will be enrolled in the study for 12 months. The primary endpoint is change in FEV1 (L) from baseline to 12 months determined by a linear mixed effects model incorporating all quarterly FEV1 measurements. Secondary endpoints include time to first acute protocol-defined pulmonary exacerbation, number of acute pulmonary exacerbations, number of hospitalization days for acute pulmonary exacerbation, time from the end of acute pulmonary exacerbation to onset of subsequent pulmonary exacerbation, change in health related quality of life, change in treatment burden, change in CF respiratory symptoms, and adherence to the study protocol., Conclusions: This study is a first step in establishing alternative approaches to the care of CF pulmonary exacerbations. We hypothesize that early treatment of pulmonary exacerbations has the potential to slow lung function decline, reduce respiratory symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with CF., (© 2013.)

Background: Biomarkers reflective of disease activity in cystic fibrosis (CF) have the potential to improve patient care, particularly during CF pulmonary exacerbations (CFPEs). Although blood-based biomarkers have been studied in CFPE for nearly 3 decades, none have been integrated into routine clinical practice. To facilitate progress in this area, we performed a systematic review evaluating blood-based biomarkers during CFPE., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched to identify relevant studies published from January 1995 to August 2012. We included all full-text studies examining systemic (blood-based) biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis of CFPE, predict outcomes of CFPE, and/or monitor the response to CFPE treatment., Results: Seventy-eight unique blood-based biomarkers have been studied to date, mainly inflammatory cytokines, acute phase reactants, and markers of oxidative stress. C-reactive protein (CRP) consistently correlated with disease activity, with a statistically significant increase from stable to exacerbation state in five of six studies, and changes in response to CFPE treatment, with a statistically significant decrease from the beginning to the end of CFPE treatment in 18 of 20 studies. Other promising biomarkers of CFPE disease activity include neutrophil elastase antiproteinase complex, IL-6, myeloperoxidase (MPO), lactoferrin, and calprotectin., Conclusions: Although there are several blood-based biomarkers with evidence for application within the CFPE setting, CRP has been the most widely studied biomarker demonstrating the potential for clinical usefulness. Further validation studies and clinical trials are required to determine whether blood-based biomarkers can be used to ultimately improve health outcomes in the setting of a CFPE.

Background: In a chronic disease setting such as cystic fibrosis (CF), antibiotics are often prescribed for emergent symptoms and it is unclear whether this affects endpoints in a clinical trial. Pulmonary exacerbations (PEs) are defined episodes of acute worsening and a key clinical efficacy measure in CF. Our hypothesis was that acute antibiotics given for illnesses not meeting the PE definition may alter estimates of treatment effect that do not account for this antibiotic use., Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of azithromycin (AZ) including 260 participants with CF was utilized for this study. PEs were defined using a priori criteria. Physician initiated antibiotic therapy (PIT) not meeting the PE endpoint was characterized and its impact on treatment effect assessed., Results: 40% (104/260) of participants were prescribed 188 courses of PIT in the absence of a PE; 19% (25/129) of placebo and 10% (13/131) of AZ participants received ≥2 courses of PIT and never fulfilled the PE definition (9% difference, 95% confidence interval: 1%, 18%, p = 0.04). Accounting for PIT through use of a composite endpoint including time to PE or need for repeated PIT altered treatment effect estimates (a 56% reduction in the event rate comparing AZ to placebo [p < 0.0001] as compared to a 50% reduction not accounting for PIT [p = 0.003])., Conclusion: PIT is common in CF and may impact treatment effect estimates. Optimization of the PE endpoint to include meaningful events necessitating treatment may improve our ability to conduct efficient trials by reducing the sample size 30-50%, ultimately enabling rapid evaluation of new therapies., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)