What the trial was testing
The WILLOW enrolled 256 patients with cystic fibrosis. The study was sponsored by Insmed Incorporated and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Patients taking brensocatib went 134 days before a flare-up, compared to 67 days on placebo.
The New England journal of medicine · 2020 · NCT03218917
These findings — that patients on the 10 mg pill had 42% fewer lung flare-ups than those on placebo — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 256 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with cystic fibrosis, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was a mid-stage study and brensocatib is not yet FDA-approved for bronchiectasis. The trial showed promise in reducing flare-ups, but some patients had dental and skin side effects. Ask your doctor about open trials or approved treatments for bronchiectasis.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open cystic fibrosis trials
Study to Enable New Diagnostics for Pulmonary Microbes in People With CF
Sputum culture has been the best approach to detect harmful bacteria in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). With the widespread use of new CF therapies (like Trikafta and Alyftrak), it is more difficult for people with CF to produce sputum even though they still have harmful bacteria in their lungs. The SEND-CF study is being done to see if there are other ways to detect harmful bacteria in the lungs.
Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy Study of ARCT-032 in People With Cystic Fibrosis
ARCT-032-02 is a Phase 2, open-label, multicenter, multiple-ascending dose study of ARCT-032 in adults with CF who are not eligible for CFTR modulator therapy or are not taking CFTR modulators due to drug intolerance, poor response, or lack of access to modulators.