Boehringer Ingelheim received approval from the U.S. FDA for Ofev (nintedanib) as the first and only medicine to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Ofev is currently approved in the U.S. and more than 70 countries for the treatment of patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and has been shown to slow IPF progression by reducing the annual rate of decline in lung function. 

"This is the first FDA -approved therapy to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease and provides hope to patients and their loved ones facing this devastating disease," said Thomas Seck, M.D., senior vice president, Medicine & Regulatory Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "This approval is supported by positive evidence from the Phase III study that showed Ofev significantly slowed the progression of lung function decline in this patient population and exemplifies Boehringer Ingelheim's dedication to the rare disease community."

The approval was based on results of SENSCIS, a Phase III double-blind randomized, Placebo -controlled trial, that involved 576 patients from 194 trial sites across 32 countries. The primary Endpoint was the annual rate of decline in FVC in patients with SSc-ILD. Results show that Ofev slowed the loss of pulmonary function by 44% (41 mL/year) in patients with SSc-ILD relative to placebo, as measured by FVC over 52 weeks.