Health Canada Approves Esbriet as First Treatment for Fatal Lung Disease

InterMune, Inc.

today announced that Health Canada has approved Esbriet® (pirfenidone) for the treatment of mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in adult patients.  IPF is a progressive and uniformly fatal disease that affects approximately 5,000 to 8,000 Canadians, is characterized by scarring of lung tissue, and has a similar short life expectancy to that of many forms of cancer, including lung, colorectal and breast cancers.  Health Canada designated Esbriet for Priority Review and completed the accelerated review according to target guidelines of 180 days.