
* Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas
Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc, Sunrise, Florida
| ABSTRACT |
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Methods. We performed 2 prospective, randomized, masked clinical trials; 1 trial used a prophylactic strategy aimed at prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (prophylaxis trial) for infants who were born between 23 weeks, 0 days and 29 weeks, 6 days of gestation, and the second trial used a treatment strategy (treatment trial) for intubated infants with a birth weight of 401 to 2000 g who required fractional inspired oxygen of >0.4 to maintain an arterial oxygen saturation of >90% (or an arterial/alveolar oxygen ratio of <0.2) at any time before 36 hours of age. Our purpose was to determine if Infasurf (calfactant) was more effective than Survanta (beractant) at increasing the proportion of patients alive and not receiving supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. Informed, written, parental consent was required, and protocols were approved by the institutional review boards of all participating institutions. The dose of surfactant was 4 mL/kg (100 mg/kg) for Survanta and 3 mL/kg (105 mg/kg) for Infasurf for both trials. The assigned drug was drawn into 2 masked syringes and administered by a health care professional who, in most cases, was not directly responsible for caring for the patient. A maximum of 3 repeat treatments, at least 6 hours apart, were permitted if the neonate required fractional inspired oxygen of >0.30 to maintain an arterial oxygen saturation of >90% (or an arterial/alveolar oxygen ratio of 0.33) and the infant remained intubated for respiratory distress syndrome.
Results. Both trials were halted for not meeting enrollment targets after a 32-month recruitment period. The decision to end recruitment was made after the interim analysis of the treatment trial. We enrolled 749 infants in the prophylaxis trial and 1361 infants in the treatment trial. The primary outcome (alive and not receiving supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age) rate in the prophylaxis trial was 52.1% for group 1 and 52.4% for group 2. In the treatment trial, the primary outcome rate was 58.7% in group 1 and 56.8% in group 2. Based on sample-size requirements for a conclusion of similarity, and the lack of statistical significance to the differences noted in the primary outcome, we have chosen not to break the investigator blind but to report the results as groups 1 and 2.
Conclusion. Early trial closure prevents us from either accepting or rejecting our null hypothesis.
Key Words: neonate respiratory failure surfactant chronic lung disease
Administration of natural surfactant reduces acute respiratory disease, air leaks, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and mortality in preterm infants.1 In surfactant studies, the primary efficacy end point often has been survival without chronic lung disease. No clinical trial to date has been designed with sufficient sample size to test the relative efficacy of any 2 different surfactants based on this outcome measure.1
Infasurf, an unmodified extract of bovine lung lavage, and Survanta, a modified extract of bovine lung mince, produce more rapid improvement in gas exchange, allow more rapid weaning of respiratory support, and reduce the occurrence of air leaks when compared with the synthetic surfactant Exosurf.24
In biophysical testing, Infasurf develops lower surface tension than Survanta.5 In the excised lung model, Infasurf restores total surfactant activity, whereas Survanta restores only a portion of full activity.6 Dynamic compliance in the premature rabbit improved by adding large amounts of surfactant protein-B (2% by weight) to Survanta.7 In premature surfactant-deficient lambs, Infasurf was more effective than Survanta in improving oxygenation and increasing lung compliance, and these effects were sustained for a longer duration.5 Our previous smaller comparison of Infasurf and Survanta demonstrated that Infasurf led to a more rapid decrease in oxygen and mean airway support compared with Survanta1; however, the sample size was too small to reach any conclusion in terms of lung injury, survival, or chronic lung disease.
Because of these biochemical and functional differences, we believed a trial with sufficient sample size to establish superiority in terms of increasing the proportion of patients alive and not receiving supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age was warranted.
| METHODS |
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Trial Subjects
Prophylaxis Trial
Consent was obtained primarily from mothers who presented and were at high risk for delivery of a viable infant who was between 23 weeks, 0 days and 29 weeks, 6 days of gestation. Enrolled individuals were not randomized until delivery was imminent.
Treatment Trial
Consent was obtained from parents whose infants met criteria for enrollment, which included a birth weight of 401 to 2000 g, need for ventilatory support and fractional inspired oxygen of >0.4 to maintain an arterial oxygen saturation of >90% (or an arterial/alveolar oxygen ratio of <0.2), time since birth of <36 hours, and no previous surfactant therapy or history of meconium aspiration.
Exclusions From Either Trial
Neonates were excluded from either trial if they had structural cyanotic congenital heart disease, diaphragmatic hernias, malformations of the lung, Potter syndrome, documented oligohydramnios for >14 days, hydrops, trisomies, or monosomies.
Randomization
Each center was assigned its own balanced randomization schedule. Twins and higher-order multiples were randomized as individuals. Sealed envelopes were prepared and assigned a surfactant type by using a computerized random-number generator.
In the prophylaxis trial, stratification was by obstetrical estimate of gestational age (2326 and 2729 completed weeks' gestation). In the treatment trial, stratification was by birth weight (401750, 7511250, and 12512000 g).
Surfactant Dosing
The dose of surfactant was 4 mL/kg (100 mg/kg) for Survanta and 3 mL/kg (105 mg/kg) for Infasurf for both trials. The assigned drug was drawn into 2 masked syringes and then administered by a health care professional who, in most cases, was not directly responsible for caring for the patient.
Prophylaxis Trial
Prophylaxis doses were based on estimated fetal weight. The infant could be ventilated to document endotracheal tube placement and establish that the heart rate was >100 beats per minute. As soon as the heart rate was >100 beats per minute, the infant was given the first dose. The goal was for the first dose to be administered within 20 minutes.
Treatment Trial
The clinical team used their own unit's criteria for intubation. Randomization and treatment occurred within 2 hours after the infant was intubated for the management of respiratory distress syndrome and met the fractional inspired oxygen requirement but no later than 36 hours after birth. Treatment doses were based on birth weight.
Retreatment in Either Trial
A maximum of 3 repeat treatments, at least 6 hours apart, were permitted if the neonate required fractional inspired oxygen of >0.30 to maintain an arterial oxygen saturation of >90% (or an arterial/alveolar oxygen ratio of 0.33) and the infant remained intubated for respiratory distress syndrome. The date and time of retreatment were reported.
Data Management
Information was recorded for each patient's mother's demographic profile, medical and obstetrical history, labor, and delivery. Cranial ultrasonography, echocardiograms, and chest radiographs were performed as necessary. Results were interpreted by cardiologists and radiologists at the participating units. A diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus required ultrasound verification. The treatment and occurrence of other complications of prematurity were recorded.
Site visits were conducted to monitor the accuracy of data collection and adherence to good clinical practice. For the primary outcome, 100% of the case-report forms were checked against the source document (medical record). In addition, 1800 patients had their entire case-report form verified against the source document. Data accuracy was >97%. Once all discrepancies were resolved, the database was closed and statistical analysis was performed. The blind (as group 1 and group 2) was maintained during the statistical analysis.
Trial End Points
Our primary end point for both studies was survival to 36 weeks' postmenstrual age without the use of supplemental oxygen. Secondary end points included incidences of death from respiratory failure, defined as an infant in whom respiratory failure (ie, refractory hypoxemia and/or hypercarbia) was the presenting feature of the life-threatening event in the absence of shock or multisystem organ failure from hemorrhage or sepsis; incidences of barotrauma (pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum and/or pulmonary intestinal emphysema and any air leak) and severe brain injury (severe intraventricular hemorrhage grades 3 or 4 or cystic periventricular leukomalacia); and degree of oxygen and ventilatory support on days 4, 10, 14, and 28 after birth. The highest level used for >12 hours during the 24-hour period on days 4, 10, 14, and 28 was the value recorded for both oxygen and ventilator support. For patients on a nasal cannula, the degree of oxygen support was reported as fraction of inspired oxygen of <0.3 unless the flow was >0.2 L/min of 100% oxygen, >0.25 L/min of 80% oxygen, or >0.5 L/min of >60% oxygen. In any of these instances, the degree of oxygen support recorded was 0.31 to 0.6.
Sample-Size Calculation
In our previous trial, 69% of neonates who received Survanta prophylaxis and 59% of neonates who received Survanta treatment were alive and not receiving supplemental oxygen by 36 weeks' postmenstrual age.1 Calculations showed that 2000 neonates would be necessary to detect a 6% difference in the primary outcome in the prophylaxis trial and 2080 were needed in the treatment trial (
= .05; ß < .20).
Statistical Analysis
Interim Analysis
One interim analysis was conducted when data on outcome at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age was available from 1000 enrolled treatment-trial neonates. Three safety end points (survival without chronic lung disease, barotrauma, and severe brain injury [grades 34 intraventricular hemorrhage and cystic periventricular leukomalacia]) were evaluated and reviewed by the data and safety monitoring committee.
Evaluation of Comparability of Surfactant Groups
We evaluated categorical variables by using 2-tailed
2 and Fisher's exact tests. Continuous variables were compared with use of a 2-tailed t test or the Kruskal-Wallis test. Ranked data were assessed with the 2-tailed Kruskal-Wallis test. In addition, comparability between treatment groups was tested by using a 2-way analysis of variance (analysis of variance) model, with treatment and center as the factors for continuous variables, and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) test for categorical variables.
All data are presented based on "intent to treat." For the primary outcome, we present data on several subgroups of patients detailed below.
| RESULTS |
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Enrollment
Our studies were conducted in 42 neonatal intensive care units (see the participant list at the end of the article). Twenty-one units participated only in the treatment trial, 2 participated only in the prophylaxis trial, and 19 participated in both.
Site logs showed that 12860 neonates were screened (see Fig 1). Of these 12860, 9016 (70.1%) neonates did not meet enrollment criteria. Of the 3844 eligible subjects, 2110 (54.9% of eligible subjects) neonates were randomized into our 2 trials. Of the 2110 randomized, 749 were in the prophylaxis trial (group 1: n = 375; group 2: n = 374) and 1361 were in the treatment trial (group 1: n = 673; group 2: n = 688). Only 12 (28%) sites enrolled the protocol-defined
80% of eligible infants into either trial.
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Twenty-one neonates did not receive the trial-assigned surfactant for all doses. Thirteen patients received both surfactants, and 8 patients received the "wrong" surfactant. Five of these 8 patients received group 1 surfactant when assigned to group 2, and 3 patients received group 2 surfactant when assigned to group 1. Data on these patients were analyzed in their assigned group (intent-to-treat analysis). Reassigning these patients to the group receiving the surfactant that they actually received (by-drug analysis) does not significantly change any of the presented proportions.
Thirty-seven enrolled patients did not meet enrollment criteria. Sixteen had oligohydramnios present for >14 days before delivery; 15 had major anomalies detected after randomization; 3 were reported to have met exclusion criteria, but the criteria used was unclear; 2 had birth weights >2 kg; and 1 had lung hypoplasia.
One hundred fifty-five patients had reported protocol deviations. Sixty-seven patients received prophylaxis dose 1 beyond 20 minutes of age; 30 were given a retreatment dose early (<6 hours from the time of the previous dose); 23 received treatment dose 1 after 36 hours of age; 19 were given >4 doses; 11 received open-label surfactant; 4 were withdrawn from the trial by their physicians; and 1 was lost to follow-up because of transfer.
Within the capability of our data set to determine bias, there was no increased frequency of any of these events in group 1 or 2 in either trial.
Description of "Results" Tables
We used an intent-to-treat approach to present our results. All tables reflect "all enrolled" infants categorized by trial and assigned surfactant group. Except for the increased rate of congenital sepsis in group 2 of the prophylaxis trial, there were no significant differences in demographics or baseline characteristics for either trial (Table 1).
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| DISCUSSION |
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Our decision to halt both of our trials was based primarily on declining enrollment and prolonged duration of the trial enrollment periods. Interest in continuous positive airway pressure9 emerged early in the trial-recruitment phase, thus decreasing the number of sites interested in the prophylaxis trial. Although the protocol defined the target for enrollment at each site as a minimum of 80% of eligible infants, this rate was achieved in only a few sites. Enrollment fell despite a midtrial meeting and 14 conference calls in which the importance of meeting enrollment targets was discussed. Publication of a retrospective review of the Pediatrix database10 and the accompanying editorial11 may have contributed to diminished interest in the outcomes of these trials.
In the end, it was clear that the prophylaxis trial would never be completed and the treatment trial would take 2 more years to complete. Concurrent changes in practice including, but not limited to, the reduction in the use of postnatal steroids (which decreased in the trial population from 25% in 2001 to 16% in 2003), and the introduction of nitric oxide for the prevention of chronic lung disease (which increased from 0.5% to 2% from 2001 to 2003) would make comparability of populations over this time period suspect.
A secondary intent of our trials was to provide an alternative surfactant efficacy outcome measure. We were unable to accomplish this important task. Smaller comparison studies of new surfactant preparations are being reported with a variety of end points.12 Claims of superiority, based on these new intermediate outcomes, may be made. It is unclear whether these studies will alter practice. Some clinicians may continue to utilize well-controlled animal and in vitro studies to select an optimal preparation. Others may look to cost differences, individual bias, or comfort based on personal experience. On reflection on unit-to-unit variation in process and outcome, we would suggest that highly effective clinical teams may be able to match surfactant characteristics and unit process design, leading to superior outcomes with either preparation.
It is unclear that survival without the use of supplemental oxygen is the proper outcome for an early surfactant intervention. Clinicians know that outcomes are influenced by nonpulmonary disorders, including the occurrence of infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, and apnea. In addition, significant site variations exist in the use of oxygen at 36 weeks, thus diminishing the reliability and value of this measure of efficacy for respiratory interventions.
Mortality alone is not an appropriate outcome in small sample studies used for surfactant comparisons. It is a low-frequency event, it depends on unit characteristics and processes, and it may reflect the desire and attitudes of the parents and providers. When pooling multiple, small, selected samples from a variety of units, differences may be overinterpreted. In previous work, a difference in mortality was noted in infants with a birth weight of <600 g. This raised concern about a negative impact of 1 of the drugs.1 Although this subgroup was not stratified in the randomization process in these trials, we noted that 22 of 44 (50%) of infants in group 1 and 21 of 46 (47%) in group 2 survived in the treatment trial. Twenty-two infants in each group died, and 3 infants in group 2 did not have this outcome reported. In the prophylaxis trial, 33 of 50 (66%) in group 1 and 31 of 49 (63%) in group 2 survived, and 1 infant in group 1 did not have this outcome reported.
| CONCLUSIONS |
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| INFASURF SURVANTA CLINICAL TRIAL GROUP AUTHORS |
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| INFASURF SURVANTA CLINICAL TRIAL GROUP CONTRIBUTORS |
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| FOOTNOTES |
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Address correspondence to Barry T. Bloom, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wesley Medical Center, 550 N Hillside, Wichita, KS 67214. E-mail address: barrybloom{at}aol.com
Conflict of interest: These trials were sponsored by Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc, ONY, Inc, and Forest Laboratories and managed by the Department of Research at The Center for Research and Education at Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. Forest Laboratories provided funding for the trials through a grant to Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc.
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