Boehringer Ingelheim‘s Ofev (nintedanib) preserved the lung function of nine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients waiting for a lung transplant, a study reported.

The research, “Safety of nintedanib before lung transplant: an Italian case series,” appeared in the journal Respirology Case Reports. A lung transplant is the only way to cure IPF.

But “the availability of donor organs significantly limits the number of transplants that can be performed,” according to the team that did the research. “Therefore, pharmacological therapies that prolong patient survival until suitable organs become available are important.”