NINTEDANIB IN IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) conveys a median survival of 3 years and until recently has lacked effective therapies. Nintedanib, an orally available, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor with selectivity for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors has recently been shown, in two pivotal phase III studies, to effectively slow IPF disease progression. Consequently, nintedanib was given accelerated approval by the FDA in October 2014 for the treatment of IPF. This monograph explores the preclinical rationale for the antifibrotic role of nintedanib and provides an overview of the available data on pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety.