Esbriet is a maintenance medicine meant to be taken long-term for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung disease. If you have a serious side effect your healthcare provider may decide you need to reduce your dose or stop treatment permanently.

In some cases, your doctor may need to change your dose of Esbriet or stop treatment due to liver or kidney toxicity, stomach side effects, sun sensitivity, rash or certain drug interactions. If you have serious liver or kidney side effects, your healthcare provider may need to stop treatment permanently to help prevent drug-induced organ damage.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a type of interstitial lung disease that is not curable. IPF leads to inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. It is not a contagious lung disease.

• Esbriet (generic name: pirfenidone) is an oral treatment for patients with IPF. It was first approved in 2014 and is manufactured by Genentech.
• Esbriet appears to prevent lung scarring that worsens the ability to breath, and slows IPF progression, but is not considered a cure.
• In studies, people taking Esbriet for 1 to 1.5 years have seen better lung breathing capacity and preserved lung function.

What kind of side effects occur with Esbriet?

In studies, the most common side effects with Esbriet (in at least 1 out of every 10 people) were:

• nausea
• rash
• abdominal (stomach) pain
• upper respiratory tract infections
• diarrhea
• fatigue (tiredness)
• headache
• decreased appetite
• decreased weight
• dyspepsia (heartburn)
• dizziness
• vomiting
• gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• sinusitis (swelling in your sinuses)
• insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• arthralgia (joint pain)

Serious side effects may include liver problems, sensitivity to sunlight (including sunlamps and tanning beds) or stomach problems.

Learn more: Warnings and Side Effects with Esbriet (in more detail)

What happens if you stop taking Esbriet?

If you stop treatment, your lung disease may worsen. There is no way to restore lost lung function once it occurs. It’s important you continue to take your medication on a daily basis or as prescribed by your doctor. Taking your medicine as directed will help to preserve more lung function by slowing down the progression of the disease.

Some people may need to stop treatment with Esbriet due to side effects, as directed by their doctor. If this occurs, your doctor will discuss any other treatment options that may be available to you. In addition, your pulmonologist may have information regarding any idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis clinical trials you may be able to enroll in, if you choose.

What if I forgot to take my dose of Esbriet?

• Do not take 2 doses at the same time to make up for any missed doses.
• Do not take more than 3 doses each day.

If you miss 14 days or more of Esbriet, call your doctor right away for further instructions about how to take your medicine.

• When you first start treatment with Esbriet, your dose will be slowly increased (titrated up) over a 2 week period to help you tolerate the medicine better.
• If you stop taking Esbriet for a period of time you may need to restart your dose titration.

This is not all the information you need to know about Esbriet for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

References

• Esbiret (pirfenidone) prescribing information. Revised Feb. 2022. Genentech. Accessed Jan. 31, 2023 at https://www.gene.com/download/pdf/esbriet_prescribing.pdf
• Esbriet. Drugs.com. Accessed Jan. 31, 2023 at http://www.drugs.com/esbriet.html
• Esbriet.com. FAQs. Genentech. Accessed Jan. 31, 2023 at https://www.esbriet.com/about-esbriet/faq.html

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Drug information

• Esbriet Information for Consumers
• Esbriet prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
• Side Effects of Esbriet (detailed)
• Esbriet user reviews (11)

Related support groups

• Esbriet (5 questions, 13 members)
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (8 questions, 30 members)

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