TRITRIAL: The Impact of Fixed Triple Therapy with Beclometasone/Formoterol/Glycopyrronium on Health Status and Adherence in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in an Italian Context of Real Life

Purpose: The TRITRIAL study assessed the effects of beclometasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate/glycopyrronium (BDP/FF/G) fixed combination in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a real-world setting, focusing on patient's experience and perspective through the use of patients reported outcomes.

Patients and methods: TRITRIAL was a multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted on patients with moderate-severe COPD treated with BDP/FF/G fixed therapy for 12 months. The main objective was to evaluate the impact of BDP/FF/G on health status through the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score. Additional assessments included adherence and satisfaction, measured by the TAI-10/12 questionnaire and a specifically designed eight-item questionnaire, quality of life through the EQ-5D-5L test, sleep quality through the COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale (CASIS), as well as safety and disease-related outcomes.

Results: Data from 655 patients were analyzed in the study. The mean total CAT score significantly improved (from 22.8 at baseline to 18.1 at 6 months and 16.5 at 12 months; p < 0.0001), as well as all the eight CAT sub-items, which decreased on average by 0.5-0.9 points during the study. Adherence and usability of the inhaler also improved during the study, with a decrease in poor compliance (from 30.1% to 18.3%) and an increase in good compliance (from 51.8% to 58.3%) according to the TAI score. Patients also benefited from significantly improved quality of life (EQ Index from 0.70 to 0.80; EQ-5D VAS score from 55.1 to 63.1) and sleep quality (CASIS score from 41.1 to 31.8). Finally, patients reported a significant reduction in exacerbation during the study.

Conclusion: TRITRIAL showed that the BDP/FF/G fixed combination is effective and safe in patients with moderate-severe COPD and poorly controlled disease, improving patients' HRQoL, sleep quality, adherence and inhaler usability and reducing COPD symptoms and the risk of exacerbation in a real-life setting.