Boehringer Ingelheim reveals positive data from asthma drug trial

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced positive data from a number of phase III trials assessing the advantages of tiotropium Respimat in the treatment of asthma.

Presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2014 annual meeting, the clinical trial results reveal that once-daily tiotropium delivered via the Respimat inhaler is effective and well tolerated in patients across asthma severities.

The first results from the GraziaTinA-asthma study demonstrated tiotropium Respimat improved lung function among patients who remain symptomatic while receiving low-dose maintenance ICS treatment, while similar findings were also recorded by the MezzoTinA-asthma trial.

Finally, data from the PrimoTinA-asthma trials found the addition of once-daily tiotropium improved lung function responses independently of concomitant use of a leukotriene receptor antagonist.

Pierluigi Paggiaro, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Pisa and lead author on the GraziaTinA-asthma study, said: "It is important to investigate the efficacy and safety of new treatment options across different asthma severities."

The company filed for European regulatory approval of tiotropium Respimat as a treatment for adult patients with asthma at the end of last year.