EU approves InterMune "blockbuster" Esbriet; may face challenge from BI's 1120
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
The European Commission approved InterMune's Esbriet (pirfenidone) for the treatment of mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) on 3 March following a positive opinion by the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in December 2010. This is the first European approval for any drug to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and InterMune's first approved product. However, it seems as if analyst predictions of $1 billion-plus peak sales in Europe for the drug may have underestimated competition in the IPF market.