The safety and tolerability of nintedanib in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease that primarily affects older individuals. Nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been approved for the treatment of IPF in several countries. The safety and tolerability of nintedanib have been investigated in clinical trials and in real-world studies (compassionate use programs and post-marketing surveillance). Areas covered: Most frequent adverse events reported in patients treated with nintedanib (gastrointestinal); additional adverse events of special interest (elevations in liver enzymes, bleeding, cardiovascular adverse events); recommendations for managing adverse events. Expert opinion: Experience with nintedanib in real-world clinical practice suggests that it has a safety and tolerability profile consistent with that observed in clinical trials. Upon initiation of nintedanib, patient education, regular monitoring and proactive management of adverse events such as diarrhea are needed to minimize the risk of permanent treatment discontinuation. Algorithms are available to help manage diarrhea and liver enzyme elevations. Further investigation of the safety and tolerability profile of nintedanib when used in combination with pirfenidone is warranted.