New Drugs, New Hope for Pulmonary Fibrosis Save

The Wall Street Journal reports that new drug development offers hope for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare, progressive fibrosing lung disorder that affects nearly 200,000 Americans, mostly middle-aged and older adults. 

Two new drugs were recently recommended in clinical guidelines released in July by the American Thoracic Society - Esbriet (pirfenidone) and nintedanib.

The drugs have been shown to interfere with the fibrosis of lung tissue. They were approved by the Food and Drug Administration last fall, with the caveats that side effects and costs must be considered. The drugs run as much as $94,000 annually. While they don’t cure the disease, they have been shown to significantly reduce the decline in what is known as forced vital capacity, which is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after taking the deepest breath possible. The manufacturers have committed to programs offering support for free medicine to eligible patients who don’t have insurance, and copay assistance to those who qualify.