New study aims to test the delivery of the best asthma treatment based on genetics
Children and young adults with asthma are being asked to take part in a new study to see whether they respond better to a personalised approach to asthma treatment. The Personalised Medicine for Asthma Control (PACT) study is looking to involve young people aged 12-18 years with asthma.
The study aims to discover whether treating asthmatic children according to their genetic status, rather than relying on current standard treatments, can improve their quality of life by reducing hospitalisations, missed school days and other problems caused by the disease. Led by researchers at BSMS, the Universities of Dundee, Aberdeen and Queen Mary University of London, and working with GPs across the UK, the study is being funded by Action Medical Research.
One of the first participants to sign up was Molly Lynch, from Chichester, who was diagnosed with asthma two years ago, aged 11. Molly’s mother Sarah heard about the PACT trial during a visit to their GP surgery, and as a result of the personalised treatment she received, Molly’s asthma improved significantly.
“We signed up for the trial because Molly had been diagnosed quite late and she went from a situation where she was fine to one where she was struggling,” said Sarah. “Personalised treatment has shown that she was obviously on the wrong medication before and I would encourage anyone who fits the study criteria to take part.”
Commenting on the study, Professor Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Chair of Paediatrics at BSMS, said: “Our research has previously found that around 15 per cent of children and young adults have a particular gene variation that is linked to poor asthma control with this treatment. That’s why we are investigating whether young people’s genetic make-up should be taken into account when deciding whether to give them the routinely-used salmeterol, or an alternative medication called montelukast.”
He added that ineffective treatment for asthma results in more school absences and more emergency visits to the GP or hospital, which will have a longer-term impact on children’s education and future job prospects.
How the study works
All new participants will be asked to provide a saliva sample in order to find out their genetic status. Up to half of the participants will be prescribed an asthma add-controller medication according to their gene test results, and the others will be given standard treatment without knowledge of their gene test, as is currently the case.
The participants will report from home online by completing questionnaires about their quality of life at three, six, nine and 12-months after commencing the study. This new method of collecting research data will avoid the need for hospital visits for children and young people, save costs and determine whether the personalised approach improves life quality. At the end of the study, all participants and their GPs will be given the results of their gene test and a summary of the study results.
If you are a young person aged 12-18 years with asthma, parents of a young person with asthma or a healthcare professional caring for patients with asthma, you can find out more or take part in the study at www.pactstudy.org.uk or call the Tayside Clinical Trials Unit on 01382 383932.