An early phase trial of pirfenidone, which is typically used to treat lung fibrosis, has shown it may also help patients with a common form of heart failure.
The trial, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), found that pirfenidone could offer a viable treatment for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
While the results are promising for patients with heart failure, larger scale trials will be needed to confirm the findings for pirfenidone before it could be licensed for use on the NHS.
The study was led by Dr Christopher Miller, NIHR clinician scientist at The University of Manchester and consultant cardiologist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
He commented: “Heart failure is as devastating an illness as some of the most common cancers, however its profile is much lower and treatment options for HFpEF are very limited.
“Based on data from previous studies, this reduction in heart scarring could translate into a substantial reduction in rates of death and admission to hospital for heart failure. The associated improvement in fluid retention provides support for heart scarring having a causal role in heart failure and being an effective treatment target,” he added.
