Effect of nintedanib on lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease: further analyses of the SENSCIS trial.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In the SENSCIS trial in subjects with systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD), nintedanib reduced the rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) over 52 weeks by 44% versus placebo. We investigated the effects of nintedanib on categorical changes in FVC and other measures of ILD progression. METHODS: In post-hoc analyses, we assessed the proportions of subjects with categorical changes in FVC % predicted at week 52 and the time to absolute decline in FVC ≥5% predicted or death and absolute decline in FVC ≥10% predicted or death. RESULTS: A total of 288 subjects received nintedanib and 288 received placebo. At week 52, in subjects treated with nintedanib and placebo, respectively, 55.7% and 66.3% had any decline in FVC % predicted, 13.6% and 20.1% had an FVC decline >5%-≤10% predicted, and 3.5% and 5.2% had an FVC decline >10%-≤15% predicted; 34.5% and 43.8% had a decrease in FVC ≥3.3% predicted (proposed minimal clinically important difference [MCID] for worsening of FVC), while 23.0% and 14.9% had an increase in FVC ≥3.0% predicted (proposed MCID for improvement in FVC). Over 52 weeks, the hazard ratio for an absolute decline in FVC ≥5% predicted or death with nintedanib versus placebo was 0.83 (95% CI 0.66, 1.06) (P=0.14) and the hazard ratio for an absolute decline in FVC ≥10% predicted was 0.64 (95% CI 0.43, 0.95); P=0.029. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that nintedanib has a clinically relevant benefit on the progression of SSc-ILD.