Otitis MediaPhase 4NCT00419380
Treatment of Clogged Tympanostomy Tubes: An Off-Label Use of Dornase Alfa (Pulmozyme®)
A Phase 4 study testing dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) in people with Otitis Media, run by University of Colorado, Denver at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate Pulmozyme® (dornase) as compared to a standard ear drop Floxin® (ofloxicin) to dissolve clogged tubes. This study will monitor the use of the new drug for any problems related to the medication. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 1 year to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Otitis Media
- What is being tested?
- dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 41 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jan 2007to May 2011
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 1 year to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- subjects from age 1 to 18 years who have undergone tube placement in the previous 9 months.
- subjects with middle-ear fluid on entry into the study will be required to have had a prior normal hearing test.
Who cannot join
- subjects with symptoms of an acute otitis media (otalgia or otorrhea), sensorineural hearing loss,cranio-facial syndromes, cystic fibrosis, prior ear surgery except tube placement, sensitivity to fluoroquinolones and presence of granulation tissue in the lumen of the tympanostomy tubes will be excluded.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The purpose of this study is to evaluate Pulmozyme® (dornase) as compared to a standard ear drop Floxin® (ofloxicin) to dissolve clogged tubes. This study will monitor the use of the new drug for any problems related to the medication. Patients are being asked to be in this study because they had tubes placed for the treatment of chronic ear infection and the tube(s) are now clogged. Clogged tubes are a common problem found in children with tubes. This problem occasionally is improved with ear drops like Floxin®. However, it is frequently not improved even after this standard ear drop treatment.
Read the detailed description
The success in treating blocked tubes may relate to the ability to dissolve the material clogging the tube as well as dealing with the thick fluid in the middle-ear. The reasoning behind this study is that the use of Pulmozyme® may be able to treat both of these problems. Pulmozyme® was approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients. Infections present in airway (lung) secretions of cystic fibrosis patients and the material that plugs ear tubes are in some ways the same. "Off-label" use of a drug is the practice by physicians to use a FDA-approved drug in treating conditions other than what the original approval was intended for. Pulmozyme® has been used to treat other lung diseases not related to cystic fibrosis. There has been no published report on the use of Pulmozyme® to treat ear infections. This study is a clinical trial that compares two treatments and will last for 3 months.
- Conditions
- Otitis Media
- Being tested
- dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)
- Keywords
- clogged ear tubes
- Medical subject headings
- Otitis Media
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)Drug
This study will compare two treatment arms. Patients will be randomized to either traditional treatment (Ofloxin)or to experimental treatment [dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)]. Each arm will have subjects instilling 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) | Active comparator | dornase alfa - Pulmozyme®: 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear. Receives: Drug: dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) |
| Ofloxin | Active comparator | Ofloxin : 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear. Receives: Drug: dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patency of the Tympanostomy Tube at the Day-14 Visit.
Measured: 14 days
Secondary outcomes (1)
Presence or Absence of Drainage in the Ear Canal and Fluid in the Middle Ear at the the Day-14 Visit.
Outcome measure data table represents the absence of drainage at day- 14
Measured: 14 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Jan 2007 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2007
- Primary completionMay 2011
- Study completionMay 2011
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Otitis MediaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Colorado, DenverThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Colorado, Denver
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Genentech, Inc.
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Kenny H Chan, MD, Principal investigator, The Children's Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00419380
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 06-0556
- Other IDs
- BB-IND Number: 100242
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Jan 2007
- Last updated
- 8 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Chan KH, Allen GC, Kelley PE, Streubel SO, Friedman NR, Yoon P, Gao D, Ruiz AG, Jung TTK. Dornase Alfa Ototoxic Effects in Animals and Efficacy in the Treatment of Clogged Tympanostomy Tubes in Children: A Preclinical Study and a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 Sep 1;144(9):776-780. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2018.1101.
PubMed 30073253
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Treatment of Clogged Tympanostomy Tubes: An Off-Label Use of Dornase Alfa (Pulmozyme®)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00419380
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 06-0556
- Conditions
- Otitis Media
- Keywords
- clogged ear tubes
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Colorado, DenverUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Genentech, Inc.
- Study start
- Jan 2007
- Primary completion
- May 2011 (actual)
- Study completion
- May 2011 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Jan 2007 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 27 Mar 2015
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate Pulmozyme® (dornase) as compared to a standard ear drop Floxin® (ofloxicin) to dissolve clogged tubes. This study will monitor the use of the new drug for any problems related to the medication. Patients are being asked to be in this study because they had tubes placed for the treatment of chronic ear infection and the tube(s) are now clogged. Clogged tubes are a common problem found in children with tubes. This problem occasionally is improved with ear drops like Floxin®. However, it is frequently not improved even after this standard ear drop treatment.
Detailed description
The success in treating blocked tubes may relate to the ability to dissolve the material clogging the tube as well as dealing with the thick fluid in the middle-ear. The reasoning behind this study is that the use of Pulmozyme® may be able to treat both of these problems. Pulmozyme® was approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients. Infections present in airway (lung) secretions of cystic fibrosis patients and the material that plugs ear tubes are in some ways the same. "Off-label" use of a drug is the practice by physicians to use a FDA-approved drug in treating conditions other than what the original approval was intended for. Pulmozyme® has been used to treat other lung diseases not related to cystic fibrosis. There has been no published report on the use of Pulmozyme® to treat ear infections. This study is a clinical trial that compares two treatments and will last for 3 months.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) | Active comparator | Drug: dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)dornase alfa - Pulmozyme®: 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear. |
| Ofloxin | Active comparator | Drug: dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)Ofloxin : 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 1 year to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- subjects from age 1 to 18 years who have undergone tube placement in the previous 9 months.
- subjects with middle-ear fluid on entry into the study will be required to have had a prior normal hearing test.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- subjects with symptoms of an acute otitis media (otalgia or otorrhea), sensorineural hearing loss,cranio-facial syndromes, cystic fibrosis, prior ear surgery except tube placement, sensitivity to fluoroquinolones and presence of granulation tissue in the lumen of the tympanostomy tubes will be excluded.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)This study will compare two treatment arms. Patients will be randomized to either traditional treatment (Ofloxin)or to experimental treatment [dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®)]. Each arm will have subjects instilling 5 drops twice daily for 7 days to the affected ear. | Drug | Ofloxin, dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) |
Primary outcome
Patency of the Tympanostomy Tube at the Day-14 Visit.
Time frame: 14 days
1 secondary outcome
Presence or Absence of Drainage in the Ear Canal and Fluid in the Middle Ear at the the Day-14 Visit.
Time frame: 14 days
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jun 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 30073253Chan KH, Allen GC, Kelley PE, Streubel SO, Friedman NR, Yoon P, Gao D, Ruiz AG, Jung TTK. Dornase Alfa Ototoxic Effects in Animals and Efficacy in the Treatment of Clogged Tympanostomy Tubes in Children: A Preclinical Study and a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 Sep 1;144(9):776-780. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2018.1101.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kenny H Chan, MD principal investigator
The Children's Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®) in people with Otitis Media, run by University of Colorado, Denver at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 27 Mar 2015). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patency of the Tympanostomy Tube at the Day-14 Visit. (time frame: 14 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00419380, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jun 2026.