Trial Outcomes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrotic lung disease that inevitably results in respiratory failure and death within 3 to 5 years of diagnosis. No effective treatment for IPF existed until the approval of 2 antifibrotic drugs (pirfenidone and nintedanib) more than 10 years ago. These drugs were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration based on demonstration of significant drug-associated differences in slowing the decline in lung function in 2 randomized clinical trials; lung function was measured by forced vital capacity (FVC), which remains the main clinically relevant outcome for IPF.