Short CommunicationPilot trial of tobramycin inhalation powder in cystic fibrosis patients with chronic Burkholderia cepacia complex infection

There is no effective chronic suppressive therapy Burkholderia cepacia complex infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This was a pilot, open-label clinical trial of tobramycin inhalation powder (TIP) delivered via Podhaler twice daily for 28 days in adults and children with CF and chronic B. cepacia complex infection in Toronto, Canada. A total of 10 subjects (4 pediatric, 6 adult patients) were treated. There was a mean drop of 1.4 log (CFU/ml) in sputum bacterial density (p = 0.01) and sputum IL-8 levels decreased significantly after 28 days of TIP (p = 0.04). The mean relative change in FEV1 (L) from Day 0 to Day 28 of TIP administration was a 4.6% increase but this was not statistically significant. The majority of patients (70%) had no or mild adverse events.