Long-term treatment with nintedanib in Asian patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Results from INPULSIS®-ON

Abstract

Background and objective: The efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were investigated in the placebo-controlled INPULSIS® trials. All patients who completed an INPULSIS® trial could receive open-label nintedanib in the extension trial INPULSIS®-ON.

Methods: We assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients of Asian race who were treated in INPULSIS®-ON. Analyses were descriptive.

Results: A total of 215 Asian patients were treated in INPULSIS®-ON, of whom 121 continued nintedanib in INPULSIS®-ON and 94 initiated nintedanib in INPULSIS®-ON having received placebo in an INPULSIS® trial. At baseline of INPULSIS®-ON, the mean (SD) age of Asian patients was 66.3 (7.5) years, 80.5% were males and mean (SD) forced vital capacity (FVC) was 78.9 (19.3) % predicted. Median total exposure to nintedanib in both INPULSIS® and INPULSIS®-ON was 42.2 months; maximum exposure was 64.1 months. In INPULSIS®, the annual rate (SE) of decline in FVC over 52 weeks in Asian patients was -124 (20) mL/year in the nintedanib group and -218 (24) mL/year in the placebo group. In INPULSIS®-ON, the annual rate (SE) of decline in FVC over 192 weeks in Asian patients was -127 (11) mL/year. Diarrhoea was reported in Asian patients at event rates of 58.8 and 82.5 events per 100 patient exposure-years in patients who continued and initiated nintedanib in INPULSIS®-ON, respectively.

Conclusion: The effect of nintedanib on slowing disease progression in Asian patients with IPF is sustained over the long term. Long-term treatment with nintedanib has an acceptable safety and tolerability profile.

Keywords: clinical trials; interstitial lung disease; lung fibrosis; nintedanib.