Exposure‐Efficacy Meta‐Model of Nintedanib in Adult Patients With Chronic Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor, nintedanib, reduces the rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) in a comparable manner in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), other forms of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), and systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD). The recommended dose of nintedanib in all indications is 150 mg twice daily (BID). Data from Phase II and III trials in IPF, PPF, and SSc-ILD were incorporated into a meta-model to holistically investigate the relationship between nintedanib exposure and efficacy. Using data from 2642 patients with IPF, PPF, or SSc-ILD treated with nintedanib doses ranging from 50 to 150 mg BID, disease progression models with a maximum drug effect on the annual rate of change in absolute FVC (i.e., mL), FVC %predicted, and FVC Z-score were developed. The estimated plasma concentration producing 50% of the maximum drug effect (EC₅₀) ranged from 6.21 to 10.4 nM (with respect to nintedanib trough concentration) across the explored FVC-based endpoints. While the disease progression for absolute FVC (mL), FVC %predicted, and FVC Z-score was different between IPF and PPF patients compared to SSc-ILD patients, the relative treatment effect of nintedanib, described by a disease-modifying E_max effect, was comparable across indications. The majority of patients achieve exposure levels at or exceeding the EC₅₀ with the approved starting dose of 150 mg BID.