New data to be presented at the Annual Congress of the European
Respiratory Society (ERS 2012), in Vienna, Austria, will shed light on
the current and potential future role of tiotropium, the first
once-daily long-acting inhaled anticholinergic for patients with Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Highlights from the accepted abstracts include the first Phase III
exacerbation and lung function data for Boehringer Ingelheim's and
Pfizer's tiotropium in asthma. These results derive from two replicate
studies evaluating the efficacy of once-daily tiotropium administered by
the Respimat® Soft MistTM Inhaler (SMI) in
patients with severe asthma who remain symptomatic on at least ICSC/LABAD.
The data are relevant since a significant proportion of patients with
asthma remain symptomatic despite current treatment options and may have
asthma exacerbations.
A further presentation will focus on results from a Phase II study that
investigates the potential of a future fixed-dose combination (FDC) of
tiotropium and Boehringer Ingelheim's once-daily LABA olodaterol in
patients with COPD. This Phase II trial was looking at the impact of
different doses of tiotropium and olodaterol as a free combination on
lung function, both administered individually by the Respimat® SMI.
Boehringer Ingelheim has already started to evaluate the tiotropium and
olodaterol FDC in the TOviTOTM Phase III clinical trial
programme.
In addition, a new analysis of the four year UPLIFTTM data
will be presented. This study evaluated the effect of tiotropium (18 µg
via HandiHaler®) in low risk patients based on the newly
defined patient groups in the updated report of the Global Initiative
for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). It will further add to the
wealth of data for tiotropium in COPD, which has now been investigated
in 175 clinical trials in COPD.
Remote asthma monitoring keeps children out of the emergency department