Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fibrotic lung 
disease with no clear etiology and few therapeutic options. Growth factors that 
act as mediators in the development of this disease might be important 
therapeutic targets. Nintedanib is a triple-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a 
potent antagonist of growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor, 
vascular endothelial growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor, and it 
is currently evaluated in clinical trials as a potential IPF therapy. Treatment 
with nintedanib may slow decline in lung function, decrease the frequency of 
exacerbations, and improve quality of life in subjects with IPF. This 
observation, together with extensive safety and pharmacokinetic data from 
studies of nintedanib in malignancy, led the way for the clinical development of 
this drug in IPF. Observations from clinical trials, together with the 
preclinical data, suggest that nintedanib may become an important therapeutic 
option for individuals with IPF. High-dose nintedanib improved the quality of 
life, slowed the progression of lung fibrosis and the decline of lung function, 
and reduced the rate of exacerbations in individuals with mild and moderate IPF. 
This is a short review based on the available data (September 2013) on 
nintedanib.