UC San Diego

Chronic allograft dysfunction is a leading cause of allograft failure, morbidity and mortality following solid organ transplantation. The pathogenesis of chronic allograft failure has a final common pathway leading to organ fibrosis. Pirfenidone is an effective and novel anti-fibrotic agent with anti-inflammatory properties. Clinical use of the agent has been tested in a number of non-transplant recipients and has a favorable safety profile based on available clinical data. Building on these observations and findings, and considering the role of fibrosis in chronic allograft rejection, Pirfenidone (PFD) was initially investigated as adjunctive therapy in a rat heterotopic tracheal transplantation model. This led to several studies which confirmed that PFD may well be worth considering for further investigation. This paper reviews the possibility of using PFD in clinical transplantation management.