Disease, Pulmonary

Inclusion Criteria

- Adult patients with COPD (Stage I or II according to the GOLD Classification), 35 years of age or older
 - Airway obstruction with a post-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) > or equal 50% of predicted normal and a post-bronchodilator FEV1 / Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) < 70%.
 - Current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of more than 10 pack-years
 - Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 33 kg/m2
 - Written informed consent to participate in the study after receiving adequate previous information and prior to any study specific procedures

Exclusion Criteria

- Significant disease other than COPD as bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis or clinically evident bronchiectasis
 - Total blood eosinophil count >/=600/mm3.
 - Thoracotomy with pulmonary resection
 - Regular use of daytime oxygen therapy
 - Completion of a pulmonary rehabilitation program in the six weeks prior to the pre-study examination or current participation in a rehabilitation program
 - Hypersensitivity to the investigational drug or to other quinolones and/or to inactive constituents of the inhalation powder
 - Hypersensitivity of the bronchial system to inhalation of nebulized drugs or saline solution
 - Acute pulmonary exacerbation
 - Patients with a history of severe allergies, non-allergic drug reactions, or multiple drug allergies
 - Concomitant inhalative therapy with antibiotics and/or concomitant systemic therapy with fluoroquinolones 
- Oral beta-adrenergics, beta blockers
- Long acting anti-cholinergics within 2 weeks prior to pre-study examination
- Inhaled or oral steroids
- Methylxanthines: 24-hour washout of short-acting theophylline and  48-hour washout of long-acting theophylline prior to pre-study examination
- Antihistamines, antileukotrienes prescribed for asthma
- oral cromolyn sodium or oral nedocromil sodium