FDA approves Boehringer’s Striverdi Respimat for COPD

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved German family-owned pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim’s Striverdi Respimat (olodaterol) long-acting inhaler to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema that are experiencing airflow obstruction.

“The availability of this new long-term maintenance medication provides an additional treatment options for the millions of Americans who suffer with COPD,” said Curtis Rosebraugh, director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Striverdi Respimat is a long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist (LABA) that helps the muscles around the airways in the lungs stay relaxed to prevent symptoms. The safety and effectiveness of Striverdi Respimat was evaluated in 3,104 people diagnosed with COPD. People who received Striverdi Respimat showed improved lung function compared to placebo. COPD, which is usually caused by smoking, is the third leading cause of death in the USA.