PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

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

  • Ondřej Májek,
  • Jakub Gregor,
  • Nesrin Mogulkoć,
  • Katarzyna Lewandowska,
  • Martina Šterclová,
  • Veronika Müller,
  • Marta Hájková,
  • Mordechai R Kramer,
  • Jasna Tekavec-Trkanjec,
  • Dragana Jovanović,
  • Michael Studnicka,
  • Natalia Stoeva,
  • Klaus-Uwe Kirchgässler,
  • Simona Littnerová,
  • Ladislav Dušek,
  • Martina Koziar Vašáková

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273854
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 9
p. e0273854

Abstract

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BackgroundThere is no clear evidence whether pirfenidone has a benefit in patients with probable or possible UIP, i.e. when idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is diagnosed with a lower degree of diagnostic certainty. We report on outcomes of treatment with pirfenidone in IPF patients diagnosed with various degrees of certainty.Methods and findingsWe followed patients in the multi-national European MultiPartner IPF Registry (EMPIRE) first seen between 2015 and 2018. Patients were assessed with HRCT, histopathology and received a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) IPF diagnosis. Endpoints of interest were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and lung function decline.ResultsA total of 1626 patients were analysed, treated with either pirfenidone (N = 808) or receiving no antifibrotic treatment (N = 818). When patients treated with pirfenidone were compared to patients not receiving antifibrotic treatment, OS (one-, two- and three-year probability of survival 0.871 vs 0.798; 0.728 vs 0.632; 0.579 vs 0.556, P = 0.002), and PFS (one-, two- and three-year probability of survival 0.597 vs 0.536; 0.309 vs 0.281; 0.158 vs 0.148, P = 0.043) was higher, and FVC decline smaller (-0.073 l/yr vs -0.169 l/yr, P = 0.017). The benefit of pirfenidone on OS and PFS was also seen in patients with probable or possible IPF.ConclusionsThis EMPIRE analysis confirms the favourable outcomes observed for pirfenidone treatment in patients with definitive IPF and indicates benefits also for patients with probable or possible IPF.