Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the European Commission has approved nintedanib for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), following an expedited review and positive CHMP opinion on 20 November 2014. Nintedanib will be marketed in the EU under the brand name Ofev. IPF is a debilitating and fatal lung disease – with a median survival of 2-3 years after diagnosis.

“Approval of this treatment for patients in the EU is a significant step towards meeting the substantial unmet need in IPF. Patients suffering from this chronic, debilitating disease can now be offered a new treatment option that has been shown to have a clinically meaningful effect on their disease,” said Professor Klaus Dugi, Chief Medical Officer, Boehringer Ingelheim. “This approval is another milestone in Boehringer Ingelheim’s ongoing efforts with regard to innovation in rare diseases in general and our continuing research for the benefit of patients affected by such a dreadful disease as IPF in particular.”

For more details, go to: http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/news/news_releases/press_releases/2015/19_january_2015_ipf.html