To 2011.

Methods	Design: randomised, parallel‐group, open‐label study Duration: 12 months Location: Japan
Participants	Population: 186 participants were randomised to salmeterol (61) and indacaterol (125) Baseline characteristics ‐ for whole population only Age (mean years): 69.1 % Male: not reported % FEV1 predicted: 53 Pack‐years (mean): not reported Inclusion criteria: patients with moderate‐to‐severe COPD (post‐bronchodilator FEV1/FVC <70% and FEV1 >30% to <80% predicted) and smoking history of at least 20 pack‐years Exclusion criteria: not reported, abstract only
Interventions	1. Salmeterol 50 bid (LABA) 2. Indacaterol 300 qd (LABA) Inhaler device: unclear Allowed co‐medications: not described
Outcomes	trough FEV1, TDI and safety assessments
Notes	Funding: Novartis Identifier(s): unknown
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Patients meeting inclusion criteria were randomised in the ratio 2:1 to indacaterol and salmeterol (methods not described)
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	no details
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Both treatments were administered open‐label
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Both treatments were administered open‐label
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unclear, abstract only
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Data could not be included in meta‐analysis, only abstract available