Who is a good candidate for it?
Good candidates are adults diagnosed with mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or other progressive fibrotic interstitial lung diseases, with a forced vital capacity (FVC) between 50% and 90% of predicted. Patients should have stable liver function and no severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class B or C). Contraindications include hypersensitivity to pirfenidone, concurrent use of strong CYP1A2 inhibitors (e.g., fluvoxamine), end-stage lung disease requiring transplant evaluation, or active liver disease. A thorough evaluation by a pulmonologist is required before starting therapy.