Spiriva® Assessment of FEV1 (SAFE)

This was a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The duration of subject participation was 48 weeks. There was an initial screening period of up to 2 weeks. The first screening visit consisted of medical history, clinical assessment, safety laboratory assessments and complete pulmonary function testing. The screening period was followed by a randomised treatment period where patients received tiotropium (Spiriva) or placebo in a ratio of 2:1. During the treatment period there were a total of 5 clinic visits (including randomisation and EOT visit). Each visit included lung function measurements and clinical assessments (SQRQ, COPD Symptom scores, physician's global assessment, COPD exacerbations/hospitalisations, vital signs and rescue medication use) in addition to adverse event reporting. The final visit consisted of a telephone contact 2 weeks after the patient completed their trial medication. Study Hypothesis: The primary purpose of this trial was to evaluate whether the effect of inhaled tiotropium (Spiriva®) on the change in trough FEV1, compared to placebo, was affected by smoking status. The primary endpoint was defined as the change in trough FEV1 after 48 weeks of treatment. The primary analysis was performed in a sequential fashion; firstly, the analysis was performed for all patients and if a positive signal was seen in this group, the analysis was then performed for both the smoking and ex-smoking groups separately. Patients were defined as smokers or ex-smokers at the screening visit. Comparison(s): Tiotropium (Spiriva®) vs placebo