Post-market cardiovascular safety trials are emerging as a standard feature for new anticholinerigcs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The trials are the legacy of FDA’s 2007-2009 post-marketing investigation into the cardiovascular safety profile of Pfizer Inc. /Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s long-acting muscarinic antagonist Spiriva (tiotropium).
The safety focus is not a surprise given the agency's long-term interest in inhaled bronchodilators. What is new is that...