Biologic treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - challenges and hopes

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease with currently no available cure. It significantly shortens patient's life and worsens its quality.

Nowadays two antifibrotics nintedanib and pirfenidon are available, both of them being small molecule synthetic agents. Biological treatment uses compounds and products of living organisms, most frequently monoclonal antibodies, oligonucleotides, recombinant proteins and peptides, native biological compounds and gene therapy.

However, clinical trials with monoclonal antibodies have failed so far, promising has been recombinant protein pentraxin 2 studies. Pentraxin 2 is currently the only biologic treatment entering into phase 3 clinical trial.

Keywords

• idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• biologic treatment
• monoclonal antibodies
• recombinant peptides
• synthetic oligonucleotides
• gene therapy