The Boehringer Ingelheim will be presenting new data 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) at the Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS 2012), in Vienna, Austria.

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 Mist Inhaler (SMI) in patients with severe asthma who remain symptomatic on at least ICS‡ /LABA§ . 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 UPLIFT 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.

The ERS congress is the largest respiratory meeting in the World, with attendance from more than 100 countries.

Tiotropium is a long-acting inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator and was the first inhaled maintenance treatment to provide significant and sustained improvements in lung function in COPD with once-daily dosing. Tiotropium works by opening narrowed airways and helping to keep them open for 24 hours.

Olodaterol is a once-daily, long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) that Boehringer Ingelheim has designed and developed as an ideal partner to tiotropium for patients with COPD. To date, olodaterol’s efficacy as a once-daily bronchodilator has been shown in clinical studies, with a significant increase in lung function for at least 24 hours in patients with COPD.

Boehringer Ingelheim is currently studying the efficacy of a once-daily fixed-dose combination of tiotropium and olodaterol in the TOviTO phase III clinical trial programme. The TOviTO programme includes several trials that could provide important evidence to support this combination’s potential to become an important new treatment option for patients with COPD.

For more than 90 years, the major area of focus for Boehringer Ingelheim is treatment of respiratory diseases. In addition to novel treatments for COPD, Boehringer Ingelheim is also developing treatment options for other airway diseases, including asthma, lung cancer, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory indications. Boehringer Ingelheim’s respiratory portfolio and pipeline cover a wide range of treatment options.