Pirfenidone to Prevent Fibrosis in Ards.

Summary

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe form of acute lung injury and a major cause of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission worldwide. Despite a large number of randomized clinical trials, a specific and effective pharmacological approach for patients with ARDS is still lacking. Fibroproliferation is a crucial part of the host defence response, and severe fibrotic lung disease affects ARDS patients even years after acute phase resolution. Pirfenidone is an oral anti-fibrotic drug, approved and largely used for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The effect of Pirfenidone in ARDS has been evaluated only in animal models. This is a randomized controlled study to evaluate for the first time the efficacy of Pirfenidone in ARDS.

Timeline

Start

2022-06-01

Primary completion

2026-06

Completion

2026-12

Publications

• Background ARDS Definition Task Force; Ranieri VM, Rubenfeld GD, Thompson BT, Ferguson ND, Caldwell E, Fan E, Camporota L, Slutsky AS. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: the Berlin Definition. JAMA. 2012 Jun 20;307(23):2526-33. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.5669.
• Background Bellani G, Laffey JG, Pham T, Fan E, Brochard L, Esteban A, Gattinoni L, van Haren F, Larsson A, McAuley DF, Ranieri M, Rubenfeld G, Thompson BT, Wrigge H, Slutsky AS, Pesenti A; LUNG SAFE Investigators; ESICM Trials Group. Epidemiology, Patterns of Care, and Mortality for Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Intensive Care Units in 50 Countries. JAMA. 2016 Feb 23;315(8):788-800. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.0291.
• Background Bos LD, Martin-Loeches I, Schultz MJ. ARDS: challenges in patient care and frontiers in research. Eur Respir Rev. 2018 Jan 24;27(147):170107. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0107-2017. Print 2018 Mar 31.
• Background Gao Smith F, Perkins GD, Gates S, Young D, McAuley DF, Tunnicliffe W, Khan Z, Lamb SE; BALTI-2 study investigators. Effect of intravenous beta-2 agonist treatment on clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (BALTI-2): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2012 Jan 21;379(9812):229-35. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61623-1. Epub 2011 Dec 11.
• Background Davidson WJ, Dorscheid D, Spragg R, Schulzer M, Mak E, Ayas NT. Exogenous pulmonary surfactant for the treatment of adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: results of a meta-analysis. Crit Care. 2006;10(2):R41. doi: 10.1186/cc4851.
• Background Zhang Y, Ding S, Li C, Wang Y, Chen Z, Wang Z. Effects of N-acetylcysteine treatment in acute respiratory distress syndrome: A meta-analysis. Exp Ther Med. 2017 Oct;14(4):2863-2868. doi: 10.3892/etm.2017.4891. Epub 2017 Aug 7.
• Background Iwata K, Doi A, Ohji G, Oka H, Oba Y, Takimoto K, Igarashi W, Gremillion DH, Shimada T. Effect of neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat sodium) in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Intern Med. 2010;49(22):2423-32. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.49.4010. Epub 2010 Nov 15.
• Background Paine R 3rd, Standiford TJ, Dechert RE, Moss M, Martin GS, Rosenberg AL, Thannickal VJ, Burnham EL, Brown MB, Hyzy RC. A randomized trial of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor for patients with acute lung injury. Crit Care Med. 2012 Jan;40(1):90-7. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31822d7bf0.
• Background Agrawal A, Zhuo H, Brady S, Levitt J, Steingrub J, Siegel MD, Soto G, Peterson MW, Chesnutt MS, Matthay MA, Liu KD. Pathogenetic and predictive value of biomarkers in patients with ALI and lower severity of illness: results from two clinical trials. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 Oct 15;303(8):L634-9. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00195.2012. Epub 2012 Aug 3.
• Background Calfee CS, Delucchi K, Parsons PE, Thompson BT, Ware LB, Matthay MA; NHLBI ARDS Network. Subphenotypes in acute respiratory distress syndrome: latent class analysis of data from two randomised controlled trials. Lancet Respir Med. 2014 Aug;2(8):611-20. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(14)70097-9. Epub 2014 May 19.
• Background Famous KR, Delucchi K, Ware LB, Kangelaris KN, Liu KD, Thompson BT, Calfee CS; ARDS Network. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Subphenotypes Respond Differently to Randomized Fluid Management Strategy. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017 Feb 1;195(3):331-338. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201603-0645OC.
• Background Meduri GU, Headley S, Kohler G, Stentz F, Tolley E, Umberger R, Leeper K. Persistent elevation of inflammatory cytokines predicts a poor outcome in ARDS. Plasma IL-1 beta and IL-6 levels are consistent and efficient predictors of outcome over time. Chest. 1995 Apr;107(4):1062-73. doi: 10.1378/chest.107.4.1062.
• Background Wang CY, Calfee CS, Paul DW, Janz DR, May AK, Zhuo H, Bernard GR, Matthay MA, Ware LB, Kangelaris KN. One-year mortality and predictors of death among hospital survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Intensive Care Med. 2014 Mar;40(3):388-96. doi: 10.1007/s00134-013-3186-3. Epub 2014 Jan 17.
• Background Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network; Brower RG, Matthay MA, Morris A, Schoenfeld D, Thompson BT, Wheeler A. Ventilation with lower tidal volumes as compared with traditional tidal volumes for acute lung injury and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2000 May 4;342(18):1301-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200005043421801.
• Background Orme J Jr, Romney JS, Hopkins RO, Pope D, Chan KJ, Thomsen G, Crapo RO, Weaver LK. Pulmonary function and health-related quality of life in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003 Mar 1;167(5):690-4. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200206-542OC. Epub 2002 Dec 18.
• Background Masclans JR, Roca O, Munoz X, Pallisa E, Torres F, Rello J, Morell F. Quality of life, pulmonary function, and tomographic scan abnormalities after ARDS. Chest. 2011 Jun;139(6):1340-1346. doi: 10.1378/chest.10-2438. Epub 2011 Feb 17.
• Background Linden VB, Lidegran MK, Frisen G, Dahlgren P, Frenckner BP, Larsen F. ECMO in ARDS: a long-term follow-up study regarding pulmonary morphology and function and health-related quality of life. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2009 Apr;53(4):489-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2008.01808.x. Epub 2009 Feb 18.
• Background Cooper AB, Ferguson ND, Hanly PJ, Meade MO, Kachura JR, Granton JT, Slutsky AS, Stewart TE. Long-term follow-up of survivors of acute lung injury: lack of effect of a ventilation strategy to prevent barotrauma. Crit Care Med. 1999 Dec;27(12):2616-21. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199912000-00002.
• Background Papazian L, Doddoli C, Chetaille B, Gernez Y, Thirion X, Roch A, Donati Y, Bonnety M, Zandotti C, Thomas P. A contributive result of open-lung biopsy improves survival in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. Crit Care Med. 2007 Mar;35(3):755-62. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000257325.88144.30.
• Background Martin C, Papazian L, Payan MJ, Saux P, Gouin F. Pulmonary fibrosis correlates with outcome in adult respiratory distress syndrome. A study in mechanically ventilated patients. Chest. 1995 Jan;107(1):196-200. doi: 10.1378/chest.107.1.196.
• Background King TE Jr, Bradford WZ, Castro-Bernardini S, Fagan EA, Glaspole I, Glassberg MK, Gorina E, Hopkins PM, Kardatzke D, Lancaster L, Lederer DJ, Nathan SD, Pereira CA, Sahn SA, Sussman R, Swigris JJ, Noble PW; ASCEND Study Group. A phase 3 trial of pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2014 May 29;370(22):2083-92. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1402582. Epub 2014 May 18.
• Background Conte E, Gili E, Fagone E, Fruciano M, Iemmolo M, Vancheri C. Effect of pirfenidone on proliferation, TGF-beta-induced myofibroblast differentiation and fibrogenic activity of primary human lung fibroblasts. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2014 Jul 16;58:13-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2014.02.014. Epub 2014 Mar 12.
• Background Schaefer CJ, Ruhrmund DW, Pan L, Seiwert SD, Kossen K. Antifibrotic activities of pirfenidone in animal models. Eur Respir Rev. 2011 Jun;20(120):85-97. doi: 10.1183/09059180.00001111.
• Background Liu Y, Lu F, Kang L, Wang Z, Wang Y. Pirfenidone attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by regulating Nrf2/Bach1 equilibrium. BMC Pulm Med. 2017 Apr 18;17(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s12890-017-0405-7.
• Background Fan E, Del Sorbo L, Goligher EC, Hodgson CL, Munshi L, Walkey AJ, Adhikari NKJ, Amato MBP, Branson R, Brower RG, Ferguson ND, Gajic O, Gattinoni L, Hess D, Mancebo J, Meade MO, McAuley DF, Pesenti A, Ranieri VM, Rubenfeld GD, Rubin E, Seckel M, Slutsky AS, Talmor D, Thompson BT, Wunsch H, Uleryk E, Brozek J, Brochard LJ; American Thoracic Society, European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, and Society of Critical Care Medicine. An Official American Thoracic Society/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine/Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline: Mechanical Ventilation in Adult Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017 May 1;195(9):1253-1263. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201703-0548ST.
• Monti G, Marzaroli M, Tucciariello MT, Ferrara B, Meroi F, Nakhnoukh C, Zambon M, Borghi G, Guarracino F, Manazza M, Ajello V, Belletti A, Biuzzi C, Plumari V, Filippini M, Cuffaro R, Racanelli G, Pontillo D, Rauch S, Oliva FM, Tescione M, Baiardo Redaelli M, Melegari G, Maj G, Navalesi P, Gerardi M, Caccioppola A, Bruni A, Ballotta A, Ferri C, Orso D, Di Benedetto V, Baldassarri R, Franceschini G, Alamami A, Pasin L, Putzu A, Romero Garcia CS, Chen YS, Noto A, Yavorovskiy A, Hajjar LA, Cortegiani A, Likhvantsev V, Konkayev A, Finco G, Sales G, Brazzi L, Paternoster G, Bellomo R, Zangrillo A, Landoni G, Di Tomasso N; PIONEER Study Group. Pirfenidone to prevent fibrosis in acute respiratory distress syndrome: The PIONEER study protocol. Contemp Clin Trials. 2025 Jun;153:107883. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107883. Epub 2025 Mar 14.

Drugs

Indications