Boehringer and Pfizer state Spiriva is safe
25 Sep 2008
Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer have said an analysis of 30 clinical trials has shown Spiriva to be safe.
They said the results contradict findings about the drug contained in an article by Singh et al which was published in the September 24th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Furthermore, the firms said they had placed special emphasis on the consideration of the cardiovascular safety of the medicine, given that this is a particular risk area for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
Dr Andreas Barner, vice-chairman of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim responsible for Research, Development and Medicine, argued that patients and doctors can be "confident" in the safety of the drug.
He continued: "In clinical trials and since its introduction, we have collected extensive safety data adding up to an exposure of more than ten million patient years."
Boehringer Ingelheim has around 39,800 employees operating across 47 countries worldwide.
The company was founded in 1885 and its headquarters are still based at the same Ingelheim am Rhein location to this day.
