Boehringer Ingelheim study shows new benefits for COPD therapy

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced clinical trial data showing how effective tiotropium/olodaterol Respimat can be when used from the start of maintenance therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

New data analyses from the pivotal phase III TONADO 1 and 2 studies showed tiotropium/olodaterol Respimat provided lung function benefit to patients with COPD right from the start of maintenance therapy, with greatest benefit in the early stages.

The new combination therapy was shown to offer superior performance compared to Spiriva Respimat alone, while its safety profile was consistent with the established safety of Spiriva Respimat or Striverdi Respimat.

Professor Klaus Dugi, chief medical officer at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "Tiotropium/olodaterol Respimat builds on years of experience with tiotropium – the active ingredient in Spiriva. We will continue to work with regulatory authorities and hope to make this treatment available for patients and their healthcare providers soon."

Earlier this year the firm commenced a study called Dynagito, which will assess the benefits of a fixed-dose combination of tiotropium plus olodaterol Respimat on reducing the risk of exacerbations and improving survival in COPD patients.