Environmentally Safe COPD Drug

A new version of a bronchodilator for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is formulated with a non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant called hydrofluoroalkane (HFA), in response to the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the ozone layer.

This new version, called Atrovent HFA (ipratropium bromide HFA), is designed to replace Atrovent CFC inhalation aerosol for maintenance treatment of bronchospasm, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The new version was developed by Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany; www.boehringer-ingelheim.com). A 12-week, double-blind, placebo, and active-controlled trial has established the comparable safety and efficacy of Atrovent HFA to Atrovent CFC. Both products were shown to be safe and effective with no statistically significant differences between them.

Atrovent HFA is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to ipratropium bromide and for the initial treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm where rapid response is required. Atrovent HFA has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"This approval is in keeping with our commitment to the research and development of replacements to our CFC-based inhalers,” commented Steven Kersten, M.D., therapeutic director in clinical and scientific affairs for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.



Related Links:
Boeringer Ingelheim