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Tiotropium improves lung function in asthma, regardless of allergic status

HOUSTON — The addition of tiotropium Respimat in adult patients with mild, moderate and severe asthma improved lung function independent of allergic status, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting.

“A significant number of asthma patients continue to experience symptoms despite treatment with available therapies, and it is important to understand how a patient’s allergic status might impact their response to treatment,” Kevin Murphy, MD, of the Boys Town National Research Hospital in Nebraska, said in a press release. “These data showed that the addition of tiotropium delivered via Respimat inhaler improved lung function in adults with asthma across a range of severities independent of underlying allergic status.”

Murphy and colleagues analyzed five phase 3 trials from the UniTin-A asthma program. Data were collected from double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trials in adult patients with mild, moderate and severe asthma.

Patients (n = 3,480) were randomly assigned to investigational tiotropium 5 µg, tiotropium 2.5 µg, or placebo in addition to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with or without long-acting beta agonists. Lung function was assessed by peak and trough forced expiratory volumes in 1 second.

“These data add to our understanding of the safety and efficacy of adding tiotropium to maintenance therapies in patients who remain symptomatic despite available asthma treatments,” Danny McBryan, MD, vice president, clinical development and medical affairs, respiratory, for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, said in the release.