Pirfenidone

Pirfenidone is a small molecule antifibrotic agent. Pirfenidone (300 mg/kg per day) inhibits fibrosis and inhibits increases in collagen content, fibrocyte pool size, and the levels of chemokines CCL2 and CCL12 in lung in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin. In a mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), pirfenidone inhibits fibrosis and increases in hepatocyte apoptosis, lobular inflammation, and hepatic expression of the fibrosis-related genes Col1a1, Timp1, Tgfb1, Pdgfb, and Fgf2 when administered at a dose of 280 mg/kg but has no effect on steatosis. Pirfenidone also displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.