NCT06376994

Brief Summary

This is a multi-center randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of an air cleaner intervention aimed at improving indoor air quality on reducing COPD exacerbation risk and improving quality of life, functional status, rescue medication use.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
770

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for phase_3

Timeline
43mo left

Started May 2024

Longer than P75 for phase_3

Geographic Reach
1 country

11 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress35%
May 2024Nov 2029

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 16, 2024

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 22, 2024

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 24, 2024

Completed
5.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 31, 2029

Expected
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

November 30, 2029

Last Updated

October 10, 2025

Status Verified

August 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

5.3 years

First QC Date

April 16, 2024

Last Update Submit

October 8, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

air cleanerindoor air qualityquality of liferescue medication use

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)

    The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is a widely used measure of disease impact as an indicator of disease-specific quality of life. The SGRQ is a disease specific instrument containing 50 items in three subscales (symptoms, activity, and impact). Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more limitations.

    baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after baseline

Study Arms (2)

Active air cleaner

EXPERIMENTAL

The active arm will receive two active air cleaners with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters which remove particulate matter (PM), as well as activated carbon filters to remove Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and other trace gases.

Device: Air cleaner

Sham air cleaner

SHAM COMPARATOR

The sham control treatment arm will receive two sham air cleaners that have the internal HEPA and carbon filters removed, but which will run normally, including similar noise, airflow, and overall appearance compared to active air cleaners, thus blinding participants to filter status.

Device: Sham air cleaner

Interventions

The intervention is two active air cleaners with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters which remove PM, as well as activated carbon filters to remove NO2 (and other trace gases). These will be run for a year in a participant's house.

Active air cleaner

The sham intervention is two sham air cleaners that have the internal HEPA and carbon filters removed, but which will run normally, including similar noise, airflow, and overall appearance compared to active air cleaners, thus blinding participants to filter status. These will be run for a year in a participant's house.

Sham air cleaner

Eligibility Criteria

Age40 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • To be eligible, subjects must meet all these criteria:
  • Age ≥ 40 years.
  • Self-report of physician diagnosis of COPD.
  • Spirometry confirmed airway obstruction (post-bronchodilator spirometry of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) \< 0.7) as defined by the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria (6, 11)
  • Tobacco exposure ≥ 10 pack-years. This refers to regular cigarette tobacco consumption.
  • Self-reported former smoker of at least 6 months' duration. This does not include e-cigarette use.
  • COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score ≥ 10, Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC) ≥ 2, or history of moderate or severe exacerbation in the past 12 months (as defined by history of receiving a course of systemic corticosteroids or antibiotics for respiratory problems; or visiting an emergency department or being hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation within the past 12 months.)

You may not qualify if:

  • To be eligible, subjects must not meet any one of these criteria:
  • Living in a location other than home (e.g., long-term care facility, nursing home)
  • Other chronic lung diseases, except asthma
  • Condition with less than a year of life expectancy (e.g., metastatic cancer) or in hospice
  • Spends \>2 months per year in location other than home; or plans to change residence in the next 12 months
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Current air cleaner use in the home (\*If the individual is willing to discontinue use of the personal air cleaner, this person can be eligible if all other eligibility has been met)
  • Inability to bring air cleaners (about 15 pounds each) into home, either by self, friend, or relative
  • Deemed by the study investigator to be unable to complete study protocol, including likely lack of internet connectivity
  • Participating in another interventional clinical trial

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (11)

University of Alabama, Lung Health Center

Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States

RECRUITING

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

RECRUITING

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States

RECRUITING

University of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States

RECRUITING

Johns Hopkins

Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

RECRUITING

Tidal Health

Salisbury, Maryland, 21801, United States

RECRUITING

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

RECRUITING

Dartmouth Hitchcock

Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

Reading Hospital

West Reading, Pennsylvania, 19611, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Lung Diseases, ObstructiveLung DiseasesRespiratory Tract DiseasesChronic DiseaseDisease AttributesPathologic ProcessesPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Stephan Ehrhardt, MD, PhD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 3
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Associate professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 16, 2024

First Posted

April 22, 2024

Study Start

May 24, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2029

Last Updated

October 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations