Boehringer Ingelheim Announces Several Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Presentations at Upcoming International Scientific Meeting

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced in a press release that the company will present 29 abstracts on respiratory disorders at the 2015 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in Denver, May 15-20. The company will present the latest data on their investigational drug portfolio for disorders like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, and also on their approved products for COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Of the 29 accepted abstracts, 7 will focus on IPF.

IPF is a progressive fatal lung disease in which the alveoli and the lung tissue are damaged, becoming thick and scarred, leading to severe breathing difficulties and compromising oxygen transfer between the lungs and the bloodstream. The generation of this scar tissue is known as fibrosis. IPF is characterized by a shortness of breath that gradually worsens, with respiratory failure being the main cause of death associated with IPF. There is no cure for the disease and it is estimated that 128,000 individuals in the United States suffer from IPF, with approximately 48,000 new cases diagnosed every year. IPF has a poor prognosis and around two-thirds of the patients die within five years after being diagnosed.

Boehringer Ingelheim will be presenting new data on clinical trials regarding their OFEV (nintedanib) capsules developed for the treatment of IPF. Nintedanib is a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets growth factors, like the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), which has been shown to be potentially involved in the disorder. The company will present data on the safety and tolerability of nintedanib in IPF patients within the ongoing Phase III INPULSIS trial and Phase II TOMORROW® trial, comparing nintedanib and pirfenidone (another drug for IPF treatment), as well as data on nintedanib effects on microvasculature and its vasorelaxant properties in laboratory models.

“We are proud of our long-standing commitment to ongoing innovation in discovering and developing new treatments for serious lung conditions where there is an unmet need,” said the Vice President, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Respiratory, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dr. Danny McBryan in the press release. “We look forward to sharing our asthma, IPF and late-stage COPD data at ATS, as we continue to advance our portfolio of respiratory products.”