Boehringer Ingelheim study shows efficacy of COPD drug Spiriva

Boehringer Ingelheim has published new clinical data to support the efficacy of Spiriva, its inhalation-based treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Results from the Poet-COPD trial demonstrated that the long-acting anticholinergic was able to deliver better results than a leading beta agonist therapy over a period of one year.

Spiriva was shown to help delay the occurrence of initial COPD exacerbations, also known as COPD lung attacks, by a statistically significant amount, while also demonstrating a strong safety profile.

Preventing these attacks is seen as a key treatment goal due to the impact they have on patients' quality of life, as well as their role in indicating disease progression and lung function decline.

Professor Dr Klaus Rabe of the department of medicine at the University of Kiel and Grosshansdorf Hospital said: "The results of the Poet-COPD study, comparing two long-acting bronchodilators, should help to guide clinical practice in the management of COPD and the prevention of exacerbations."

Earlier this month, Boehringer Ingelheim entered into a new agreement with Depomed that will give it rights to new drug development technology for use in the creation of diabetes therapies.