INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the most common interstitial lung diseases with limited survival. The effect of IPF therapy in patients with severely impaired lung function is not well established. The aim of this study was to characterize IPF patients with a forced vital capacity (FVC) < 50% (group 1) and FVC 50-60% predicted (group 2) and analyze the effect and adverse events of nintedanib in Hungarian patients diagnosed between April 2015 and July 2017. METHODS: The impact of nintedanib therapy on lung function, survival, and adverse events was analyzed longitudinally. RESULTS: Twenty-two out of 103 patients were included in the analysis (group 1: N = 10; male/female = 6:4, age 62.6 ± 10.8 years and group 2: N = 12; male/female = 3:9, age 65.7 ± 11.6 years). Eighteen patients were treated with nintedanib (8 in group 1, 10 in group 2); treatment stabilized lung function in 42% and 50%, respectively, in the two groups. Median survival was 444 days for group 1 and 476 days for group 2. Adverse events were less common than in clinical trials; dose reduction was necessary in three cases, drug discontinuation in two cases. No differences between groups were identified regarding clinical parameters and radiological pattern; however, hypertension as comorbidity was more common in group 1 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Nintedanib therapy was effective and well tolerated even among patients with severely impaired lung function. Longitudinal follow-up confirmed high mortality in patients with very severe and severe IPF; however, median survival was meaningful as it exceeded 1 year in both groups.

Department of Pulmonology Semmelweis University Budapest Hungary

Department of Respiratory Diseases of the 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Thomayer Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Masaryk University Žerotínovo nám Brno Czech Republic

References provided by Crossref.org

Survival and lung function decline in patients with definite, probable and possible idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with pirfenidone

Differences in Baseline Characteristics and Access to Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Patients With IPF in the EMPIRE Countries

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10.6084/m9.figshare.7546751