Asthma imaging study sees if blocked airways block meds

NCT ID NCT06970080

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: McMaster University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study is for adults with asthma whose symptoms don't improve with standard inhalers. Researchers will use advanced MRI and CT scans to see if structural problems in the airways—like narrowing or mucus plugs—prevent inhaled medications from reaching the lungs. Participants will first get a doubled dose of inhaled steroids for 12 weeks, then a short course of oral steroids. The goal is to understand why some people don't respond to inhalers and whether oral drugs work better for them.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Inhaled corticosteroid (QVAR) and oral corticosteroid (prednisone)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could help doctors personalize asthma treatment by identifying patients whose airways block inhaled drugs, pointing them toward oral medications instead.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to immediate changes in care, and imaging results may not predict real-world outcomes for all patients.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 242 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2025

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Able and willing to provide written informed consent. * Able and willing to comply with the study protocol. * Males and females ≥ 18 years of age. * Asthma diagnosed by a respiratory physician. * Airway hyperresponsiveness (defined as methacholine PC20 ≤8mg/mL) and/or bronchodilator reversibility (defined as post-bronchodilator FEV1 improvement ≥200mL and 12%) in the last 6 months * ACQ ≥1.5 during the screening period. * Sputum eosinophils ≥3% and/or FeNO ≥35ppb during the screening period. Exclusion Criteria: * Current smoker, defined as someone having smoked ≥1 cigarette/day (or vape/pipe/cigar/marijuana) for ≥30 days within 12 months prior to screening. * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Non-English speaking * Oral corticosteroids in past 1-month * Biologic therapy in past 6-months * Unable to perform proper MDI technique during the screening period * Other pulmonary diseases (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, tuberculosis) requiring treatment within 12 months prior to screening. * Unable to undergo MRI. Patient has an implanted mechanically, electrically, or magnetically activated device or any metal in their body which cannot be removed, including but not limited to pacemakers, neurostimulators, biostimulators, implanted insulin pumps, aneurysm clips, bioprosthesis, artificial limb, metallic fragment or foreign body, shunt, surgical staples (including clips or metallic sutures and/or ear implants) (at the discretion of the MRI Technologist). Suffers from any physical, psychological, or other condition(s) that might prevent performance of the MRI, such as severe claustrophobia.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

asthma T2-high asthma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Asthma

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Asthma imaging study sees if blocked airways block meds

What the study statuses mean