Patients with rarer form of pulmonary fibrosis to be offered life-extending drug

Patients with non- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) will soon be offered an anti-fibrotic drug following a decision by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

NICE has agreed that doctors will soon be able to prescribe the anti-fibrotic drug nintedanib to patients with IPF. Nintedanib is a tyrosine protein kinase inhibitor developed by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. Up until now, only some patients with the most common type of the disease – idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) - could be prescribed anti-fibrotic drugs.  

The decision by NICE means that over 15,000 people living with other forms of pulmonary fibrosis such as hypersensitivity, pulmonary fibrosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, and occupational diseases like asbestosis and silicosis, will have another treatment option through nintedanib.

It’s hoped that by having access to nintedanib, patients with IPF can have their condition slowed and that the drug will help extend their lives by a couple of years.  

The charity Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis has campaigned for half a decade to make antifibrotic drugs available immediately once a patient is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.

Speaking about the news Steve Jones, Chair of Trustees at Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, said: “This is a landmark moment for patients and their loved ones with pulmonary fibrosis.   We’d couldn’t have achieved this without the support of patients, families, MP’s and clinicians who understood the injustice of this rule.  Nintedanib has been proved in a clinical trial and offers doctors another treatment they can use to slow down disease progression and hopefully extend life.   We are delighted this will now be available to patients.”  

Carol Fielding, 66 from Bolton, was diagnosed with lung fibrosis disease RA-ILD in 2018.  She has been unable to access antifibrotic treatments.

“This news means everything to me.   It’s about seeing my young grandchildren reach more of their milestones and making some more memories for them.  It’s about maybe living long enough that even the younger ones might remember me,” Carol said.

Dr Nazia  Chaudhuri, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This is a game changer for patients with progressive fibrosis.  I am absolutely delighted with the NICE decision to be able to give life changing antifibrotic therapy to all patients with progressive lung fibrosis.”