The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ofev (nintedanib) capsules to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults with interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis or scleroderma, called SSc-ILD.It is the first FDA-approved treatment for this rare lung condition.The FDA granted the approval of Ofev to treat SSc-ILDto Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.

"Patients suffering from scleroderma need effective therapies, and the FDA supports the efforts of drug companies that are designing and conducting the clinical trials necessary to bring treatment options to scleroderma patients," said Nikolay Nikolov, M.D., associate director for Rheumatology of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Nintedanib is now a treatment option to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in patients who have interstitial lung disease from scleroderma."

Scleroderma is a rare disease that causes tissue throughout the body, including the lungs and other organs, to thicken and scar. Interstitial lung disease or ILD is a condition affecting the interstitium, which is part of the lung's structure, and is one of the most common disease manifestations of sclerderma. SSc-ILD is a progressive lung disease in which lung function declines over time, and it can be debilitating and life-threatening. ILD is the leading cause of death among people with scleroderma, typically resulting from a loss of pulmonary function that occurs when the lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to the heart. Approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States have scleroderma, and approximately half of scleroderma patients have SSc-ILD.

Ofev was originally approved in 2014 for adult patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is another interstitial lung condition.Ofev received Priority Review designation, under which the FDA's goal is to take action on an application within six months where the agency determines that the drug, if approved, would significantly improve the safety or effectiveness of treating, diagnosing or preventing a serious condition. Ofev also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.

The FDA granted the approval of Ofev to treat SSc-ILDto Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.