RIDGEFIELD, Conn. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed that SPIRIVA® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder), a long-acting anticholinergic, was significantly more effective at preventing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations than salmeterol HFA-MDI (hydrofluororalkane-metered dose inhaler). While salmeterol HFA-MDI, a beta-agonist is widely used as a COPD maintenance treatment worldwide, it is not approved in the U.S. for COPD or for reducing COPD exacerbations. The data are from The Prevention Of Exacerbations with Tiotropium (POET)-COPD® study, a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group trial involving 7,376 COPD male and female patients and conducted in 25 countries outside of the U.S. over one year. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of tiotropium HandiHaler and salmeterol HFA-MDI on moderate and severe COPD exacerbations.1
