What are the main indications for nintedanib?

Nintedanib (Nintedanib), as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting multiple cell growth factor receptors (such as VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR), was originally developed by Boehringer Ingelheim of Germany and has been approved in many countries for the treatment of chronic interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) related to pulmonary fibrosis. Its scope of indications has been continuously expanded in recent years and it has become one of the important drugs in anti-fibrosis treatment. When many patients come across the drug name nintedanib, the first thing they think of is "a drug for treating pulmonary fibrosis", but in fact, its applications are much more than that.

Currently, nintedanib has been approved in China and many countries around the world for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and other chronic interstitial lung diseases with progressive phenotypes. In these diseases, lung tissue gradually loses its normal structure due to inflammation and fibrosis, leading to difficulty breathing and decreased lung function. Nintedanib can effectively delay disease progression by inhibiting signaling pathways related to fibrosis, especially showing a strong delaying effect on the decline of lung function.

In addition to lung diseases, nintedanib has also conducted clinical studies in the field of oncology, especially in combination with anti-angiogenic therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although its use in oncology has not yet been widely approved in China, it has been used in some countries as maintenance or second-line treatment for adenocarcinoma-like lung cancer. It is worth noting that with the development of scientific research, nintedanib is expected to show its potential in more fibrosis-related diseases. New indications such as liver fibrosis, renal fibrosis and even some myocardial fibrosis are in the research stage.

Reference materials:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintedanib