Spiriva May Increase Risk of Stroke

According to U.S. regulators' recent reports, the respiratory medicine Spiriva HandiHaler may increase the risk of stroke.  As noted on Bloomberg.com, the Food and Drug Administration published a notice indicating that Spiriva was associated with two more cases of stroke in every 1,000 patients treated for one year compared with a placebo medicine in a pooled analysis of 13,500 patients.  Spiriva is marketed by Boehringer, the world's largest family owned drugmaker with Pfizer Inc., as a once-a-day inhaled treatment for breathing difficulty caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  The Ingelheim, Germany-based company is assessing the long-term effects of the drug in a four- year study that is expected to report results in June, the FDA said.  At that point, the FDA will review the report and make conclusions and recommendations to the public.   If you or any member of your family believes that you have been injured as a result of taking Spiriva Handihaler, please contact the attorneys at STSW at 410-385-9104 for a free consultation.