Phase III Results: Once-daily tiotropium Significantly Increases Time to First Severe Exacerbation and Reduces the Risk of Exacerbations in Asthma Patients Still Symptomatic Despite ICS/LABA Treatment

Phase III Results: Once-daily tiotropium Significantly Increases Time to First Severe Exacerbation and Reduces the Risk of Exacerbations in Asthma Patients Still Symptomatic Despite ICS/LABA Treatment PR Newswire BRACKNELL, England, September 3, 2012 BRACKNELL, England, September 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A significant proportion of asthma patients remain symptomatic despite current [1]treatment options and may have asthma exacerbations ®First phase III data for tiotropium delivered by the Respimat Soft Mist™ Inhaler (SMI) in asthma demonstrated significant improvements in lung function in these [2]adults Tiotropium delivered by Respimat is not licensed for the treatment of asthma These data are also being published simultaneously online in the New England Journal of Medicine available at http://www.nejm.org. Tiotropium delivered by the Respimat SMI significantly increased the time to first severe asthma exacerbation and in addition, reduced the risk of exacerbations (P = 0.03) in adults who remain symptomatic despite treatment with at least inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)/long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) in phase III PrimoTinA-asthma™ studies, presented today at the 2012 European Respiratory Society (ERS) congress. Tiotropium also significantly improved lung [2]function in symptomatic asthma patients on ICS/LABA. The PrimoTinA-asthma studies (part of the ongoing phase III trial programme named UniTinA-asthma™) were two replicate double-blind parallel-group trials.