Trials and treatments: an update on pharmacotherapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease that occurs predominantly in the older population. There is increasing incidence and prevalence in IPF globally. The emergence of anti-fibrotic therapies in the last decade have improved patient survival though a cure is yet to be developed. In this review article, we aim to summarize the existing and novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of IPF (excluding treatments for acute exacerbations), focusing on the current knowledge on the pathophysiology of the disease, mechanism of action of the drugs, and clinical trials.