META-ANALYSIS OF THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF PIRFENIDONE IN THE TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic irreversible and ultimately fatal disease characterized by the formation of scar tissue within the lungs ang progressive decline in lung function. This disease is not curable, but already there is a treatment that stabilizes the course of the disease and it seems to slow down the progression of the disease. Two antifibrotics drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, have proven their effectiveness and safety in clinical trials. Both of these is approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by regulatory agencies. The first systematic review and network meta-analysis was performed, assessing the efficacy of these two drugs at similar time points. Both pirfenidone and nintedanib are effective in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, effectively slow lung function decline, while pirfenidone was also characterized by lower mortality rates.