Data Comparison shows onset of action of oral hyoscine butylbromide already as early as 15 minutes

Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany, 18 May 2015 – Hyoscine butylbromide is an active pharmaceutical ingredient used for treating gastrointestinal spasms and pain. At the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in Washington on May 16 Boehringer Ingelheim presented three methodologically different studies, which show that the onset of action of oral hyoscine butylbromide can be shown as early as 15 minutes after intake of up to two tablets (2 x 10 mg).

Two of the studies were undertaken in randomized, double-blind clinical trials with Chinese and US-American patients. The third study is a pharmacy-based patient survey investigating more than 1,400 German patients regarding their experience with hyoscine butylbromide tablets and its onset of action¹. In the clinical trials hyoscine butylbromide tablets were compared against placebo² and capsules³. Despite having different methodological approaches, all three of the compared studies showed similar results concerning the early onset of action of hyoscine butylbromide tablets as early as 15 minutes after use.⁴ Hyoscine butylbromide is the active ingredient in Boehringer Ingelheim’s Buscopan^® for the treatment of abdominal cramps or spasms.

“Many patients already trust Buscopan^® and we now have scientific data that shows how quickly oral hyoscine butylbromide can help in treating unpleasant crampy pains in the abdominal area”, stated Dr. Ursula Köhler, Corporate Medical Advisor at Boehringer Ingelheim. “A fast onset of action of a medication to treat these symptoms is a clear advantage for patients.”

Hyoscine butylbromide is an ingredient derived from scopolamine (hyoscine), a natural substance extracted from Duboisia plant species and chemically modified by Boehringer Ingelheim to the hyoscine butylbromide compound. As an antispasmodic active ingredient, hyoscine butylbromide acts directly on abdominal pain by relaxing the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.

Boehringer Ingelheim has been a successful player in the field of self-care for more than 60 years. In 2014 the Boehringer Ingelheim CHC Business was ranked among the top ten self-care corporations worldwide, with leading positions in laxatives and antispasmodics, cough, wellbeing, and general pain. The Boehringer Ingelheim best-selling brands are Buscopan^®, Dulcolax^®, Mucosolvan^® and Pharmaton^®.

Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim operates globally with 146 affiliates and a total of more than 47,700 employees. The focus of the family-owned company, founded in 1885, is researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

Social responsibility is an important element of the corporate culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. This includes worldwide involvement in social projects, such as the initiative “Making more Health” and caring for the employees. Respect, equal opportunities and reconciling career and family form the foundation of the mutual cooperation. In everything it does, the company focuses on environmental protection and sustainability.

In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.3 billion euros. R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.9 per cent of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

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