Drug May Slow Fatal Lung Disease

An experimental drug may slow the decline of breathing ability in a fatal lung disease, new research finds. The studies focused on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This condition causes scarring in the lungs. As the scars get worse, people can breathe in less and less air. About 4 out of 5 people die within 5 years of diagnosis. In the new studies, people were randomly divided into two groups. One group took the drug pirfenidone. The other got placebo (fake) pills. The first study lasted 72 weeks. Researchers looked at changes in a measurement of breathing called forced vital capacity. A decline of 10% is a major milestone in this disease. About 20% of people in pirfenidone group had this large decline, compared with 35% in the placebo group. The average drop in breathing ability was 8.4% in the pirfenidone group and 12.4% in the placebo group.