Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer announce Spiriva approval process completion

Boehringer Ingelheim, together with Pfizer, has announced that the firms have successfully completed the approval process for the application of marketing authorisation for Spiriva Respimat in the European Union as a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

The Spiriva Respimat is a next-generation propellant-free inhaler combining new medical technology with Spiriva (tiotropium), a proven first-line therapy for COPD that helps patients live with the condition

In clinical trials, patients have been seen to prefer the Respimat Soft Mist inhaler to other inhaling devices, which could result in an increase in patient compliance with therapy, while its innovative drug-delivery system results in an inhaler not dependent in patient inspiratory flow.

Professor Marc Decrame, of the respiratory division in University Hospitals at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, said: “Spiriva Respimat represents a major step forward in COPD and inhalation therapy.

“Many patients find certain inhaler devices difficult to coordinate and use.”

He added that the user-friendly and sophisticated delivery system of the Spiriva inhaler makes the product suitable for COPD patients, while also guaranteeing optimised drug delivery to the lungs to aid patients.

In March 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim reported that its growth in the 2006 fiscal year was driven by a 45 per cent increase in its sales of Spiriva.