Table 2.

Pharmacological characteristics of nintedanib and pirfenidone.

	Pirfenidone	Nintedanib
Pharmaceutical form (orally)	Capsules Tablets	Capsules
Half-life (hours)	3	9.5
Side effects	Bloating, dizziness, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss, photosensitivity reactions and rash	Increased liver enzymes, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting weight loss
Major pharmacological Interactions *	Aminolevulinic acid, amiodarone, enoxacin, fluvoxamine, leflunomide, mibefradil, mipomersen, rucaparib, teriflunomide, vemurafenib	Carbamazepine, dexamethasone, drotrecogin alfa, phenytoin, leflunomide, lomitapide, mipomersen, mitotane, phenobarbital, primidone, rifampicin, St. John’s wort, tripanavir, teriflunomide
Contraindications	Smoking Kidney failure Liver failure	Thromboembolic disease Lung toxicity Gastric perforation Smoking Kidney failure Liver failure
Pregnancy Category (FDA)	C	D

Abbreviations: Pregnancy category C: Animal reproduction studies have shown adverse effects on the foetus or its safety could not be demonstrated. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans. Drugs included in this category should only be used when the potential benefits justify the potential risks to the foetus. Pregnancy category D: There is evidence of risk to the foetus based on research data, post-marketing data, adverse reaction records or human studies. However, the potential benefits of its use in pregnant women may be acceptable despite the likely risks in some situations. FDA: Food and Drug Administration. * Major interactions: Highly relevant at the clinical level. Combinations causing this type of interactions should be avoided since their risk exceeds the potential benefit.