Recruiting

Inhaled Budesonide for Prevention in Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis

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What is being tested

Arm 2- Budesonide (Pulmicort® Turbuhaler®) + Usual care

+ Arm 1- Usual care

DrugOther
Who is being recruted

Infections+2

+ Lung Diseases

+ Pneumonia

Over 18 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 2
Interventional
Study Start: February 2026
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorAHS Cancer Control Alberta
Study ContactAlexander Watson, MDMore contacts
Last updated: March 24, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: February 10, 2026

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

This study explores whether using inhaled steroids for a year after an initial occurrence of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) can help reduce lung inflammation without the need for more aggressive treatments. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising cancer treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer cells, but they can sometimes cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues instead, such as the lungs. This lung inflammation, known as CIP, can severely affect a patient's breathing and overall quality of life. The study targets cancer patients who have previously experienced CIP and aims to find a safer, long-term solution for managing this condition, potentially enhancing their cancer treatment experience. Participants in the study will receive inhaled steroids, commonly used for asthma patients, to see if this method can effectively control lung inflammation. Researchers will observe if this treatment reduces the recurrence of CIP, focusing on improving breathing and quality of life without the side effects associated with oral or intravenous steroids. The study will monitor the patients over the course of a year to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of inhaled steroids as a treatment option, aiming to provide an alternative that minimizes additional health risks.

Official TitleInhaled Budesonide for REcurrence Prevention and Adjuvant THerapy in Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis
NCT06860542
Principal SponsorAHS Cancer Control Alberta
Study ContactAlexander Watson, MDMore contacts
Last updated: March 24, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

94 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 18 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

InfectionsLung DiseasesPneumoniaRespiratory Tract DiseasesRespiratory Tract Infections

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients must be 18 years of age, or older on the day of signing informed consent and be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent and, in the opinion of the Investigator, comply with protocol tests and procedures 2. Patients require histologically confirmed solid tumour undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy 3. Diagnosis of first documented diagnosis of Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis (CIP) made per European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)/American Society for Medical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines with severity \>/grade 2 by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE)v5.0 a. Per ASCO/ESMO consensus guidelines, workup must include a compatible clinical picture, plus/minus supporting radiographic evidence (chest x-ray or preferably computed tomography (CT)), combined with clinical and/or microbiologic ruling out of alternative etiologies including infections or pulmonary disease progression. This includes a negative COVID test. Bronchoscopic sampling is not required, but can be considered. 4. Be able to effectively operate and use budesonide delivery method (Turbuhaler®), either independently or with aid of caregiver who anticipates being able to do so throughout trial period 5. Have adequate organ function, as judged by enrolling clinician 6. Females of childbearing potential have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test prior to study day 1. Patients of childbearing potential are those who have not been surgically sterilized or have not been free of menses for at least 1 year 7. Females of childbearing potential are willing to use contraception or abstain from heterosexual sexual contact for the course of the study Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) active (clinically and radiologically evident) within last year prior to diagnosis of CIP 2. Clinically suspected significant lung disease for which inhaled steroid would be standard of care (moderate asthma or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) and for which randomization to no inhaled steroids (control arm) would not represent optimal medical care. Based on enrolling physicians judgement; spirometry/pulmonary function tests are NOT required to assess this exclusion criteria. 3. Current (within last two weeks), active (not medically able or unwilling to discontinue prior to treatment start) and regular (2 or more times per week) use of inhaled steroids (for any indication) or systemic (\>10mg prednisone equivalent) corticosteroids (for indication other than CIP) at time of randomization 4. Receiving systemic, non-chemotherapy immunosuppressive agent at time of randomization (hydroxychloroquine is acceptable) 5. Use of a medication with significant interaction with inhaled budesonide (HIV protease inhibitors, ketoconazole or other potent CYP3A4 inhibitors), unless deemed required and safe by co-investigator. 6. Known poorly controlled diabetes, defined as A1c \>10, prior to initiation of steroids for CIP 7. History of active and unstable systemic disease, including heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) III or IV, cirrhosis with Child Pugh B or C, Renal Failure with creatinine clearance (CrCl) \<30 per Cockcroft-Gault formula, or other unstable life limiting condition as determined by trial investigators 8. Current or prior participation in a study of an investigational agent or device within 4 weeks of randomization 9. History or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory abnormalities which might confound trial results, interfere with the patient's participation for the full duration of the trial, or otherwise causing it to be not in the best interest of the patient to participate in the trial, in the opinion of the treating investigator. 10. Is or has an immediate family member (e.g., spouse, parent/legal guardian, sibling or child) who is directly involved with this trial, unless prospective ethics board approval (by chair or designee) is given allowing exception to this criterion for a specific patient 11. Breastfeeding is not permitted during the duration of trial participation.

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Budesonide (Pulmicort® Turbuhaler®) 800ug inhaled twice daily (BID) will be taken in addition to usual care for 36 weeks. Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis (CIP) flare/recurrence will be treated as initial episode/per guidelines.

Group II

Active Comparator
The comparison arm will be usual care (UC) for Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis (CIP); recommended guideline management consists of systemic steroids 1-2mg/kg via oral (grade 2) or IV (grade 3/4) until clinical improvement, then taper over 6 weeks (grade 2) or 8 weeks (grade 3/4). Final CIP management decisions at treating physicians discretion.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Recruiting

Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre

Calgary, CanadaOpen Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Google Maps
Recruiting
One Study Center