A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel Group Study of Once-daily Inhaled Fluticasone Furoate Inhalation Powder for Six Weeks on the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical Axis of Children Aged 5-11 Years With Asthma

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have a number of known class effects including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis suppression. Although the safety of inhaled Fluticasone Furoate (FF) on the HPA axis of adults and adolescent asthmatic patients has been established, it is important to assess the risk of suppression in children so as to establish whether this medicine can be safely used in this young population. This study aims to evaluate the effect of inhaled FF on the HPA axis of children 5-11 years of age (inclusive) with persistent asthma compared with placebo. Approximately 143 subjects will be enrolled. Subjects will enter a 7 to 14 day run-in period on oral montelukast 4 milligrams (mg) (5 year old subjects) or 5 mg (6-11 year old subjects) once daily. Eligible subjects will be randomized to receive once-daily FF inhalation powder 50 micrograms (mcg) or once-daily placebo inhalation powder in the morning via the ELLIPTA™ inhaler for 42 days. Subjects will continue to receive open label montelukast during the treatment period. All subjects will be provided albuterol/salbutamol inhalation aerosol, to use as needed to treat acute asthma symptoms throughout the study. ELLIPTA is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.