A Long and Winding Road: Drug Development in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentlessly progressive fibrotic lung disease of unknown origin associated with high morbidity, poor survival, and substantial healthcare use (1). Two drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, have been shown to slow the rate of functional decline and disease progression and are approved worldwide. However, the condition of most patients continues to decline despite treatment, and both drugs are associated with substantial tolerability issues. The IPF community is