Jascayd is approved! So when can we start taking the IPF treatment?
I'll attend the PF Foundation Summit in November, armed with questions
For the first time in more than 10 years, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care teams and patients will have a new treatment option following the Oct. 7 approval of Jascayd (nerandomilast) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017, the only anti-fibrotic medications available to treat IPF were Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Ofev (nintedanib), and both had only been approved in October 2014. In consultation with my care team, I elected to take Esbriet as its side effects were more compatible with my lifestyle. I took it daily from February 2017 until July 9, 2021, the day before my bilateral lung transplant.
The excitement about Jascayd’s approval is still palpable, but questions about the drug’s availability have begun to emerge, the most common one being, “When can the IPF community expect Jascayd to become available?”
The best answer seems to be that it depends.
Making Jascayd available to IPF patients
Individual pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees will help determine when Jascayd will be added to hospital and health system formularies. Any new drug requires a P&T committee for it to be added to a formulary. These committees function as the standard for adding or removing a drug from a formulary, and make “evidence-based decisions that support the goal of providing optimal patient care while minimizing risks and costs to both the system and the patient,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. Formularies can vary from organization to organization or even within the same company, if it offers different plans.
Private insurance also utilizes P&T committees. For instance, Aetna utilizes an external advisory P&T committee to establish its formulary. While a private insurance plan may elect not to update its formulary until its next plan year, Medicare conducts rolling reviews to update its formulary throughout the year.
The consensus appears to be that a new drug should be added to a formulary within 90 days, but that timeline isn’t set in stone. This new drug won’t appear on all formularies at the same time, especially under private insurance plans, but the patient community will begin sharing information as soon as one of us is prescribed Jascayd.
What questions do you have about the new IPF treatment? I want to help find those answers. When I am at the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Summit in November, I hope to pose some of those questions to the Boehringer Ingelheim team, which developed Jascayd. Helping the IPF community get the information they need is how I can make every breath count.
Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.
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Alan Gould
I would love to know what the side effects are. Ofev and Esbriet caused me to lose 60 pounds
Paul Swanson
I called the manufacturer directly 844-527-2293 They have a program available now in which they will give patients a 2 month supply free while the insurance is being figured out .You need to complete a patient support program enrollment form.You do not need to qualify financially.
I suggest you call them to answer your questions and have them send you the enrollment form.844-527-2293 .They are open until 8 pm ET
Richard Pawliger
Must you stop using Esbriet if you take the new drug?
Bennie de Kock
Hi Samuel thanks for this information. I was also diagnosed in 2017, but my condition got worse in January 2025 after I got swine flu.
Is Jascayd also just a medicine that will prevent, or slow down scarring, or can it actually start healing the lungs? I assume we will only get this in South Africa in a few years. I think we are lagging a few years from you guys ;)
I'm sort of reaching out to every possibility, as I am too old for a lung transplant in South Africa. The maximum age is 65, and I'm turning 65 in November. Feels like time is running out for me.
I also tried to take part in trials, but nothing in South Africa so far.
Thank you
Pat Swiers
Sam, my first question would be regarding side effects to any new drug. I was also diagnosed in 2017, and am 68 now. I tried OFEV, but the side effects were miserable. The ones listed for Esbriet are the same. I would be happy to try Jascayd if it is better.
mary andrews
I was diagnosed in 2015 and still resisting medication as all that I have read puts me off dealing with the side effects.
would hope that the new drug doesn't take too long to be available in Australia.
Sandy Spill
Sam, is this a drug to be taken in tandem with OFEV or Esbriet, or is it I a stand-alone treatment?
I’m 77 yes. old, was diagnosed with ipf in 2022, not too long after finishing up chemo for ovarian cancer. Somewhere along the line, I seem to have read there may be a connection between ipf and chemotherapy drugs? Has anyone else come across that?
I have been on OFEV since April 2023, dealing with the many unpleasant side effects. I call it my “new normal”. I try to live & eat clean, but I do give in the the occasional glass of wine or beer.
I Pray that research continues and someday a cure will be found! In the meantime, I appreciate reading the posts and learning from all of you. Cheers!
Robert Street
I've seen several reports that in the phase 3 trial of Jascayd (nerandomilast), the FVC results were significantly superior compared to those on a placebo. That trial did included a cohort who were on OFEV. Is it a safe assumption that some in the OFEV cohort were on nerandomilast and others on the placebo? If nerandomilast performed better in that cohort than the placebo group, that would be great news for those of us who have been on OFEV for some time. In my experience, when a company had some good news about a new product, they would get out the megaphone to let everyone know. But with this phase 3 result, there seems to have been complete silence about the comparison of nerandomilast to the placebo in the OFEV cohort. Should we conclude that there was little good news to disclose?
Carol Pringle
I think I have I P F. I have every symptom, but waiting to see the lung doctor. Maybe in two weeks I will see him. If so I hope the medicine is not too expensive, because it is so new to the market. Thank you.
Michael Rollett
I noticed that in the trials, some took it with Ofev. I have been on Ofev and supplemental oxygen for 2-1/2 years and while scarring has not increased significantly, my condition has worsened due to inflammation. I use prednisone to reduce inflammation, but it doesn't do much unless I take higher doses, which is untenable long term. I would like to know if Jascayd reduces inflammation as well as slowing the disease (scarring) progression. I'm one of those who have minimal side effects from Ofev, so I would also like to know if there would be a benefit to me from taking both drugs. I am hoping it will work better than Ofev and will be added to the Medicare formulary soon.
Deb
I am trying to gather information on the Affordable Care Act, and the cap for out-of-pocket copays for our prescriptions. As I understand it, we pay a $2,000. annual maximum for our prescription copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. Does this apply to Ofev, and Jayced? Thank you.
Michael Rollett
I've been on Ofev for 2-1/2 years now. I tolerate it well with almost no side effects. Since the trials included those taking both Ofev and Jascayd together, I would like to know if there's any benefit to taking both (or would just switching to Jascayd be the way to go). Also, I have an issue with lung inflammation (from the disease) that is not addressed by Ofev and I'm on a regular dosage of prednisone. I thought I read early on that Jascayd helps reduce inflammation. Is that true? Does Jascayd help with inflammation? Thanks.