Abstract
BackgroundIn many countries worldwide, the long-acting anticholinergic drug tiotropium is available as a dry powder formulation delivered by means of the HandiHaler® inhalation device and as an aqueous solution delivered via the Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler. Tiotropium HandiHaler® is a single-dose, dry powder, breath-actuated inhaler that provides delivered doses and lung deposition of tiotropium that are, over a wide range, not influenced by the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tiotropium Respimat® is a propellant-free, multi-dose inhaler that delivers a metered dose of medication as a fine, slow-moving, long-lasting soft mist, independently of patient inspiratory effort. The high fine-particle fraction of droplets produced by the Respimat® inhaler optimizes the efficiency of drug delivery to the lungs.MethodsTo help inform the choice of tiotropium inhaler for prescribers and patients, this systematic review summarizes the available pharmacokinetic, efficacy and safety data from comparative studies of tiotropium Respimat® and tiotropium HandiHaler® in COPD, focusing on the licensed once-daily doses of 5 and 18 μg, respectively. Data sources reviewed include publications and abstracts identified from database searches.ResultsPublished evidence from comparative studies suggests that tiotropium Respimat® 5 μg and tiotropium HandiHaler® 18 μg provide similar clinical outcomes in patients with COPD.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that physicians can base their decision about an inhaler for tiotropium on factors other than efficacy or safety. These could be patient preference for a particular inhaler, ease of use and the efficiency of drug delivery, with the aim of optimizing adherence and clinical outcomes with long-term tiotropium maintenance therapy. Video (MP4 314368 kb) Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12890-016-0291-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
In many countries worldwide, the long-acting anticholinergic drug tiotropium is available as a dry powder formulation delivered by means of the HandiHaler® inhalation device and as an aqueous solution delivered via the Respimat® Soft MistTM Inhaler
The long-acting anticholinergic drug tiotropium is available in many countries as a dry powder formulation delivered by means of the HandiHaler® inhaler device (Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany) [2, 3] and as an aqueous solution delivered via the Respimat® Soft MistTM Inhaler (Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH) [4, 5]
These findings indicate that the large majority of patients, irrespective of stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can achieve acceptable delivery of medication through the tiotropium HandiHaler®
Summary
The long-acting anticholinergic drug tiotropium is available as a dry powder formulation delivered by means of the HandiHaler® inhalation device and as an aqueous solution delivered via the Respimat® Soft MistTM Inhaler. Tiotropium HandiHaler® is a single-dose, dry powder, breath-actuated inhaler that provides delivered doses and lung deposition of tiotropium that are, over a wide range, not influenced by the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tiotropium HandiHaler® is a single-dose, dry powder, breath-actuated inhaler that provides consistent rates of delivered doses and lung deposition of tiotropium that are, over a wide range, not influenced by the severity of COPD [9]. In-vivo study data confirmed that COPD patients across a wide range of severities were able to generate sufficient inspiratory flow rates to activate the tiotropium HandiHaler® [10]. These findings indicate that the large majority of patients, irrespective of stage of COPD, can achieve acceptable delivery of medication through the tiotropium HandiHaler®
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call