Disease Introduction
Pulmonary fibrosis (most typically idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) is a chronic disease in which the lungs gradually harden and thicken, much like scarring on the skin. Symptoms include increasingly severe shortness of breath after exertion and a persistent dry cough. It is a progressive and potentially fatal interstitial lung disease. While irreversible, it can be managed: early use of anti-fibrotic drugs can slow the decline in lung function, and long-term oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation can improve quality of life. In the stage of respiratory failure, single or double lung transplantation is an effective means of prolonging life.
Cutting-edge high-precision diagnostic and treatment technologies
- New drug Namilast : Namilast, a selective PDE4B inhibitor, was approved by the US FDA and China's National Medical Products Administration in October 2025. It is the first new drug with a completely new mechanism of action for IPF in more than ten years.
- Cornerstone of anti-fibrotic dual therapy : Pirfenidone and nintedanib remain first-line oral anti-fibrotic drugs for IPF and progressive fibrotic interstitial lung disease, which can slow down the decline in lung function;
- Radical Lung Transplantation : Patients who progress to end-stage respiratory failure can undergo single or double lung transplantation. In 2025, Tongji Hospital completed a double lung transplant for a patient with pulmonary fibrosis and respiratory failure through a multidisciplinary team.
- Updated Rehabilitation Guidelines : The "Chinese Guidelines for Respiratory Rehabilitation of Chronic Respiratory Diseases (2026 Edition)" incorporates interstitial lung disease into the standardized respiratory rehabilitation system;
- Standardize long-term oxygen therapy : For patients with interstitial lung disease complicated with severe hypoxemia, the guidelines strongly recommend long-term home oxygen therapy for at least 15 hours per day.
