LAUSR

Objectives One of the most significant features of poor prognosis in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is pulmonary fibrosis. Nintedanib is a new antifibrotic agent that interferes with processes of pulmonary fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in COVID-19. Methods This was an interventional study in which adult patients with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) were consecutively enrolled. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality after the initiation of MV. The secondary endpoints were length of MV, volume of lung injury, and the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events and acute liver failure. Results Thirty patients with COVID-19 underwent nintedanib therapy. We included 30 patients not receiving nintedanib as the historical control group. There were no significant differences in 28-day mortality between the groups (23.3% vs 20%, p = 0.834). Lengths of MV were significantly shorter in the nintedanib group (p = 0.046). Computed tomography volumetry showed that the percentages of high-attenuation areas were significantly lower in the nintedanib group at the liberation from MV (38.7% vs 25.7%, p = 0.027). There were no significant differences in the adverse events. Conclusions The administration of nintedanib may offer potential benefits for minimizing lung injury in COVID-19.