1. Name Of The Medicinal Product
Spiriva Respimat
2. Qualitative And Quantitative Composition
The delivered dose is 2.5 microgram tiotropium per puff (2 puffs comprise one medicinal dose) and is equivalent to 3.124 microgram tiotropium bromide monohydrate.
The delivered dose is the dose which is available for the patient after passing the mouthpiece.
For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.
3. Pharmaceutical Form
Solution for inhalation
Clear, colourless, solution for inhalation
4. Clinical Particulars
4.1 Therapeutic Indications
Tiotropium is indicated as a maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
4.2 Posology And Method Of Administration
The medicinal product is intended for inhalation use only. The cartridge can only be inserted and used in the Respimat inhaler (see 4.2).
Two puffs from the Respimat inhaler comprise one medicinal dose.
The recommended dose for adults is 5 microgram tiotropium given as two puffs from the Respimat inhaler once daily, at the same time of the day.
The recommended dose should not be exceeded.
Special Populations:
Geriatric patients can use tiotropium bromide at the recommended dose.
Renally impaired patients can use tiotropium bromide at the recommended dose. For patients with moderate to severe impairment (creatinine clearance
Hepatically impaired patients can use tiotropium bromide at the recommended dose (see 5.2).
Paediatric patients:
Spiriva Respimat is not recommended for use in children and adolescents below 18 years due to lack of data on safety and efficacy (see 5.1 and 5.2). To ensure proper administration of the medicinal product, the patient should be shown how to use the inhaler by a physician or other health professionals.
Patient's instructions for use and handling
Spiriva Respimat inhaler and Spiriva Respimat cartridge
Inserting the cartridge and preparation for use
The following steps 1-6 are necessary before first use:
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To prepare the Spiriva Respimat inhaler for first-time use
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Using the Spiriva Respimat inhaler
You will need to use this inhaler ONLY ONCE A DAY.
Each time you use it take TWO PUFFS.
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When to get a new Spiriva Respimat inhaler
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How to care for your inhaler
Clean the mouthpiece including the metal part inside the mouthpiece with a damp cloth or tissue only, at least once a week.
Any minor discoloration in the mouthpiece does not affect your Spiriva Respimat inhaler performance.
If necessary, wipe the outside of your Spiriva Respimat inhaler with a damp cloth.
4.3 Contraindications
Spiriva Respimat is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to tiotropium bromide, atropine or its derivatives, e.g. ipratropium or oxitropium or to any of the excipients (see 6.1).
4.4 Special Warnings And Precautions For Use
Tiotropium bromide, as a once daily maintenance bronchodilator, should not be used for the initial treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm, i.e. rescue therapy.
Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur after administration of tiotropium bromide solution for inhalation.
Consistent with its anticholinergic activity, tiotropium bromide should be used with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma, prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction.
Inhaled medicines may cause inhalation-induced bronchospasm.
Spiriva Respimat should be used with caution in patients with known cardiac rhythm disorders (see 5.1).
As plasma concentration increases with decreased renal function in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance
Patients should be cautioned to avoid getting the spray into their eyes. They should be advised that this may result in precipitation or worsening of narrow-angle glaucoma, eye pain or discomfort, temporary blurring of vision, visual halos or coloured images in association with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and corneal oedema. Should any combination of these eye symptoms develop, patients should stop using tiotropium bromide and consult a specialist immediately.
Dry mouth, which has been observed with anti-cholinergic treatment, may in the long term be associated with dental caries.
Tiotropium bromide should not be used more frequently than once daily (see 4.9).
4.5 Interaction With Other Medicinal Products And Other Forms Of Interaction
Although no formal drug interaction studies have been performed, tiotropium bromide has been used concomitantly with other drugs commonly used in the treatment of COPD, including sympathomimetic bronchodilators, methylxanthines, oral and inhaled steroids without clinical evidence of drug interactions.
The co-administration of tiotropium bromide with other anticholinergic containing drugs has not been studied and therefore is not recommended.
4.6 Pregnancy And Lactation
For tiotropium bromide, no clinical data on exposed pregnancies are available. Animal studies have shown reproductive toxicity associated with maternal toxicity (see 5.3).
The potential risk for humans is unknown. Spiriva Respimat should therefore only be used during pregnancy when clearly indicated.
It is unknown whether tiotropium bromide is excreted in human breast milk. Despite studies in rodents which have demonstrated that excretion of tiotropium bromide in breast milk occurs only in small amounts, use of Spiriva Respimat is not recommended during breast-feeding. Tiotropium bromide is a long-acting compound. A decision on whether to continue/discontinue breast-feeding or to continue/discontinue therapy with Spiriva Respimat should be made taking into account the benefit of breast-feeding to the child and the benefit of Spiriva Respimat therapy to the woman.
4.7 Effects On Ability To Drive And Use Machines
No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed. The occurrence of dizziness or blurred vision may influence the ability to drive and use machinery.
4.8 Undesirable Effects
a) General description
Many of the listed undesirable effects can be assigned to the anticholinergic properties of tiotropium bromide.
b) Table of Undesirable effects according to the MedDRA terminology
The frequencies assigned to the undesirable effects listed below are based on crude incidence rates of adverse drug reactions (i.e. events attributed to tiotropium) observed in the tiotropium group (2,802 patients) pooled from 5 placebo-controlled clinical trials with treatment periods ranging from twelve weeks to one year.
Frequency is defined using the following convention:
Very common (
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* frequency not known, no adverse drug reaction observed in 2,802 patients
c) Information characterising individual serious and/or frequently occurring undesirable effects
In controlled clinical studies, the commonly observed undesirable effects were anticholinergic undesirable effects such as dry mouth which occurred in approximately 3.2% of patients.
In 5 clinical trials, dry mouth led to discontinuation in 3 of 2,802 tiotropium treated patients (0.1 %).
Serious undesirable effects consistent with anticholinergic effects include glaucoma, constipation, intestinal obstruction including ileus paralytic and urinary retention.
Additional information on special populations
An increase in anticholinergic effects may occur with increasing age.
4.9 Overdose
High doses of tiotropium bromide may lead to anticholinergic signs and symptoms.
However, there were no systemic anticholinergic adverse effects following a single inhaled dose of up to 340 microgram tiotropium bromide in healthy volunteers. Additionally, no relevant adverse effects, beyond dry mouth/throat and dry nasal mucosa, were observed following 14-day dosing of up to 40 microgram tiotropium solution for inhalation in healthy volunteers with the exception of pronounced reduction in salivary flow from day 7 onwards. No significant undesirable effects have been observed in four long term-studies in COPD patients with a daily dose of 10 microgram tiotropium solution for inhalation over 4-48 weeks.
Acute intoxication by inadvertent oral ingestion of tiotropium solution for inhalation from the cartridge is unlikely due to low oral bioavailability.
5. Pharmacological Properties
5.1 Pharmacodynamic Properties
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Anticholinergics
ATC code: R03B B04
Tiotropium bromide is a long-acting, specific antagonist at muscarinic receptors. It has similar affinity to the subtypes, M1 to M5. In the airways, tiotropium bromide competitively and reversibly binds to the M3 receptors in the bronchial smooth musculature, antagonising the cholinergic (bronchoconstrictive) effects of acetylcholine, resulting in bronchial smooth muscle relaxation. The effect was dose dependent and lasted longer than 24h. As an N-quaternary anticholinergic, tiotropium bromide is topically (broncho-) selective when administered by inhalation, demonstrating an acceptable therapeutic range before systemic anticholinergic effects may occur.
The dissociation of tiotropium from especially M3-receptors is very slow, exhibiting a significantly longer dissociation half-life than ipratropium. Dissociation from M2-receptors is faster than from M3, which in functional in vitro studies, elicited (kinetically controlled) receptor subtype selectivity of M3 over M2. The high potency, very slow receptor dissociation and topical inhaled selectivity found its clinical correlate in significant and long-acting bronchodilation in patients with COPD.
The clinical Phase III development programme included two 1-year, two 12-weeks and two 4-weeks randomised, double-blind studies in 2901 COPD patients (1038 receiving the 5 µg tiotropium dose). The 1-year programme consisted of two placebo-controlled trials. The two 12-week trials were both active (ipratropium) - and placebo-controlled. All six studies included lung function measurements. In addition, the two 1-year studies included health outcome measures of dyspnoea, health-related quality of life and effect on exacerbations.
In the aforementioned studies, tiotropium solution for inhalation, administered once daily, provided significant improvement in lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity) within 30 minutes following the first dose, compared to placebo (FEV1 mean improvement at 30 minutes: 0.113 litres; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.102 to 0.125 litres, p< 0.0001). Improvement of lung function was maintained for 24 hours at steady state compared to placebo (FEV1 mean improvement: 0.122 litres; 95% CI: 0.106 to 0.138 litres, p< 0.0001).
Pharmacodynamic steady state was reached within one week.
Spiriva Respimat significantly improved morning and evening PEFR (peak expiratory flow rate) as measured by patient's daily recordings compared to placebo (PEFR mean improvement: mean improvement in the morning 22 L/min; 95% CI: 18 to 55 L/min, p< 0.0001; evening 26 L/min; 95% CI: 23 to 30 L/min, p<0.0001). The use of Spiriva Respimat resulted in a reduction of rescue bronchodilator use compared to placebo (mean reduction in rescue use 0.66 occasions per day, 95% CI: 0.51 to 0.81 occasions per day, p<0.0001).
The bronchodilator effects of Spiriva Respimat were maintained throughout the 1-year period of administration with no evidence of tolerance.
The following health outcome effects were demonstrated in the long term 1-year studies:
(a) Spiriva Respimat significantly improved dyspnoea (as evaluated using the Transition Dyspnoea Index) compared to placebo (mean improvement 1.05 units; 95% CI: 0.73 to 1.38 units, p<0.0001). An improvement was maintained throughout the treatment period.
(b) The improvement in mean total score of patient's evaluation of their Quality of Life (as measured using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire) between Spiriva Respimat versus placebo at the end of the two 1-year studies was 3.5 units (95% CI: 2.1 to 4.9, p<0.0001). A 4-unit decrease is considered clinically relevant.
(c) COPD Exacerbations
In three one-year, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials Spiriva Respimat treatment resulted in a significantly reduced risk of a COPD exacerbation in comparison to placebo. Exacerbations of COPD were defined as “a complex of at least two respiratory events/symptoms with a duration of three days or more requiring a change in treatment (prescription of antibiotics and/or systemic corticosteroids and/or a significant change of the prescribed respiratory medication)”. Spiriva Respimat treatment resulted in a reduced risk of a hospitalisation due to a COPD exacerbation (significant in the appropriately powered large exacerbation trial).
The pooled analysis of two Phase III trials and separate analysis of an additional exacerbation trial is displayed in Table 1. All respiratory medications except anticholinergics and long-acting beta-agonists were allowed as concomitant treatment, i.e. rapidly acting beta-agonists, inhaled corticosteroids and xanthines. Long-acting beta-agonists were allowed in addition in the exacerbation trial.
Table 1: Statistical Analysis of Exacerbations of COPD and Hospitalized COPD Exacerbations in Patients with Moderate to Very Severe COPD
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a Time to first event: days on treatment by when 25% of patients had at least one exacerbation of COPD / hospitalized COPD exacerbation. In study A 25% of placebo patients had an exacerbation by day 112, whereas for Spiriva Respimat 25% had an exacerbation by day 173 ( p=0.09);in study B 25% of placebo patients had an exacerbation by day 74, whereas for Spiriva Respimat 25% had an exacerbation by day 149 (p<0.0001).
b Hazard ratios were estimated from a Cox proportional hazard model. The percentage risk reduction is 100(1 - hazard ratio).
c Poisson regression. Risk reduction is 100(1 - rate ratio).
d Pooling was specified when the studies were designed. The exacerbation endpoints were significantly improved in individual analyses of the two one year studies.
In a retrospective pooled analysis of the three 1-year and one 6-month placebo-controlled trials with Spiriva Respimat including 6,096 patients a numerical increase in all-cause mortality was seen in patients treated with Spiriva Respimat (68; incidence rate (IR) 2.64 cases per 100 patient-years) compared with placebo (51, IR 1.98) showing a rate ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.33 (0.93, 1.92) for the planned treatment period; the excess in mortality was observed in patients with known rhythm disorders.
5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties
a) General Introduction
Tiotropium bromide is a non-chiral quaternary ammonium compound and is sparingly soluble in water. Tiotropium bromide is available as solution for inhalation administered by the Respimat inhaler. Approximately 40% of the inhaled dose is deposited in the lungs, the target organ, the remaining amount being deposited in the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the pharmacokinetic data described below were obtained with higher doses than recommended for therapy.
b) General Characteristics of the Active Substance after Administration of the Medicinal Product
Absorption: Following inhalation of the solution by young healthy volunteers, urinary excretion data suggest that approximately 33% of the inhaled dose reach the systemic circulation. It is expected from the chemical structure of the compound (quaternary ammonium compound) and from in-vitro experiments that tiotropium bromide is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract (10-15%). Oral solutions of tiotropium bromide have an absolute bioavailability of 2-3%. At steady state, tiotropium bromide plasma levels in COPD patients at peak were 10.5-11.7 pg/ml when measured 10 minutes after administration of a 5 microgram dose delivered by the Respimat inhaler and decreased rapidly in a multi-compartmental manner. Steady state trough plasma concentrations were 1.49-1.68 pg/ml. Food is not expected to influence the absorption of this quaternary ammonium compound.
Distribution: The drug is bound by 72% to plasma proteins and shows a volume of distribution of 32 l/kg. Local concentrations in the lung are not known, but the mode of administration suggests substantially higher concentrations in the lung. Studies in rats have shown that tiotropium bromide does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier to any relevant extent.
Biotransformation: The extent of biotransformation is small. This is evident from a urinary excretion of 74% of unchanged substance after an intravenous dose to young healthy volunteers. The ester tiotropium bromide is nonenzymatically cleaved to the alcohol (N-methylscopine) and acid compound (dithienylglycolic acid) that are inactive on muscarinic receptors. In-vitro experiments with human liver microsomes and human hepatocytes suggest that some further drug (< 20% of dose after intravenous administration) is metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) dependent oxidation and subsequent glutathion conjugation to a variety of Phase II-metabolites.
In vitro studies in liver microsomes reveal that the enzymatic pathway can be inhibited by the CYP 2D6 (and 3A4) inhibitors, quinidine, ketoconazole and gestodene. Thus CYP 2D6 and 3A4 are involved in metabolic pathway that is responsible for the elimination of a smaller part of the dose.
Tiotropium bromide even in supra-therapeutic concentrations does not inhibit CYP 1A1, 1A2, 2B6, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1 or 3A in human liver microsomes.
Elimination: The terminal elimination half-life of tiotropium bromide is between 5 and 6 days following inhalation. Total clearance was 880 ml/min after an intravenous dose in young healthy volunteers with an interindividual variability of 22%. Intravenously administered tiotropium bromide is mainly excreted unchanged in urine (74%). After inhalation of the solution urinary excretion is 20.1-29.4 % of the dose, the remainder being mainly non-absorbed drug in gut that is eliminated via the faeces. The renal clearance of tiotropium bromide exceeds the creatinine clearance, indicating secretion into the urine.
Linearity / Nonlinearity: Tiotropium bromide demonstrates linear pharmacokinetics in the therapeutic range after intravenous administration, dry powder inhalation and inhalation of the solution.
c) Characteristics in Patients
Geriatric Patients: As expected for all predominantly renally excreted drugs, advanced age was associated with a decrease of tiotropium bromide renal clearance (326 ml/min in COPD patients < 58 years to 163 ml/min in COPD patients> 70years) which may be explained by decreased renal function. Tiotropium bromide excretion in urine after inhalation decreased from 14 % (young healthy volunteers) to about 7 % (COPD patients); however plasma concentrations did not change significantly with advancing age within COPD patients if compared to inter- and intraindividual variability (43 % increase in AUC0-4 after dry powder inhalation).
Renally Impaired Patients: In common with all other drugs that undergo predominantly renal excretion, renal impairment was associated with increased plasma drug concentrations and reduced renal drug clearance after both intravenous infusion and dry powder inhalation. Mild renal impairment (CLCR 50-80 ml/min) which is often seen in elderly patients increased tiotropium bromide plasma concentrations slightly (39% increase in AUC0-4h after intravenous infusion). In COPD patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (CLCR < 50 ml/min) the intravenous administration of tiotropium bromide resulted in doubling of the plasma concentrations (82% increase in AUC0-4h), which was confirmed by plasma concentrations after dry powder inhalation and also by inhalation of the solution via the Respimat inhaler.
Hepatically Impaired Patients: Liver insufficiency is not expected to have any relevant influence on tiotropium bromide pharmacokinetics. Tiotropium bromide is predominantly cleared by renal elimination (74% in young healthy volunteers) and simple non-enzymatic ester cleavage to pharmacologically inactive products.
Paediatric Patients: See 4.2
d) Pharmacokinetic / Pharmacodynamic Relationship(s)
There is no direct relationship between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
5.3 Preclinical Safety Data
Many effects observed in conventional studies of safety pharmacology, repeat-dose toxicity, and reproductive toxicity could be explained by the anticholinergic properties of tiotropium bromide. Typically in animals reduced food consumption, inhibited body weight gain, dry mouth and nose, reduced lacrimation and salivation, mydriasis and increased heart rate were observed. Other relevant effects noted in repeated dose toxicity studies were: mild irritancy of the respiratory tract in rats and mice evinced by rhinitis and epithelial changes of the nasal cavity and larynx, and prostatitis along with proteinaceous deposits and lithiasis in the bladder in rats.
Harmful effects with respect to pregnancy, embryonal/foetal development, parturition or postnatal development could only be demonstrated at maternally toxic dose levels. Tiotropium bromide was not teratogenic in rats or rabbits. The respiratory (irritation) and urogenital (prostatitis) changes and reproductive toxicity was observed at local or systemic exposures more than five-fold the therapeutic exposure. Studies on genotoxicity and carcinogenic potential revealed no special hazard for humans.
6. Pharmaceutical Particulars
6.1 List Of Excipients
Benzalkonium chloride
Disodium edetate
Water, purified
Hydrochloric acid 3.6 % (for pH adjustment)
6.2 Incompatibilities
Not applicable.
6.3 Shelf Life
3 years
In-use shelf life: 3 months
6.4 Special Precautions For Storage
Do not freeze.
6.5 Nature And Contents Of Container
Type and material of the container in contact with the medicinal product:
Solution filled into a polyethylene/polypropylene cartridge with a polypropylene cap with integrated silicone sealing ring. The cartridge is enclosed within an aluminium cylinder.
Pack sizes and devices supplied:
Single pack: 1 Respimat inhaler and 1 cartridge, providing 60 puffs (30 medicinal doses)
Double pack: 2 single packages, each containing 1 Respimat inhaler and 1 cartridge, providing 60 puffs (30 medicinal doses)
Triple pack: 3 single packages, each containing 1 Respimat inhaler and 1 cartridge, providing 60 puffs (30 medicinal doses)
Eight pack: 8 single packages, each containing 1 Respimat inhaler and one 1 cartridge, providing 60 puffs (30 medicinal doses)
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
6.6 Special Precautions For Disposal And Other Handling
Any unused product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.
7. Marketing Authorisation Holder
Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH
Binger Strasse 173
D-55216 Ingelheim am Rhein
Germany
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