Pirfenidone Benefits and Side Effects

Pirfenidone (Pirfenidone) is an orally administered small molecule with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activities. It targets the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) pathways, resulting in reduced collagen synthesis and fibroblast proliferation. Pirfenidone was well tolerated, with the most common adverse events being nausea, dyspepsia, vomiting, anorexia, photosensitivity, and dizziness. Treatment discontinuations were rare, although more common in the pirfenidone group than in the placebo group.

In a Japanese multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, pirfenidone treatment was associated with decreased vital capacity (VC) (0.09L in the 1800 mg/day pirfenidone group vs. 0.16L in the placebo group) and better progression-free survival (PFS) over 52 weeks. Pooled data from the two CAPACITY trials showed a 22.8% relative reduction in forced vital capacity (FVC) decline and a 26% improvement in progression-free survival. The ASCEND study confirmed the results of the CAPACITY study, which showed that patients with an absolute decrease in FVC of 10% or more experienced a relative decrease of 47.9% over 52 weeks; the six-minute walk distance decrease was also reduced in the experimental group.

The original drug pirfenidone has been approved for marketing in China and has entered the scope of Class B medical insurance. Reimbursement is limited to patients who meet the indications. SpecificationsThe price of each box of 100mg*54 tablets is about 500 yuan. There are also generic pirfenidone drugs produced in other countries overseas. For example, the price of a box of 200mg*30 tablets produced by an Indian pharmaceutical factory is around RMB 100 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The ingredients of the generic drugs are basically the same as those of the original drug. For more drug information and specific prices, please consult Yaode Medical Consultant.