Leading pulmonologists talk about latest advances in treatment options for post-COVID pulmonary fibrosis

Experts presented various data generated from studies investigating the Russian drug Longidaza® when used in patients with residual pulmonary abnormalities after COVID-19 at the 21st Century Pulmonology National Congress held in Moscow.

Chairman of the Congress Sergei Avdeev, Chief External Pulmonologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, revealed that even today, two years after the pandemic has ended, respiratory problems again come to the forefront. Pulmonologists get more and more patients with complaints of dyspnea, who attribute the symptom to COVID-19 they had. Studies have reported that pulmonary impairment is the second most common after-effect of COVID-19 patients get after recovery^[1].

Specialists, in turn, have no consensus on the nature of pulmonary fibrosis, but multiple meta-analyses have demonstrated the relevance of this problem, especially among patients after artificial ventilation as fibrotic changes were observed in 87% of such patients^[2].

Therefore, specialists and the scientific community are increasingly looking for therapeutic solutions. Galina Ignatova, Dr. habil. med., Professor, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Advanced Professional Education at FSBEI HE SUSMU MOH Russia, Chief External Pulmonologist of the Urals Federal District, presented the data coming from a double-blind placebo-controlled study investigating the drug Longidaza® when used in adult patients with post-COVID-19 residual pulmonary abnormalities. On day 180 of Longidaza administration, a trend toward an increase in forced vital capacity of the lungs (FVC) was noted in the study participants, and there were more patients with 10% better FVC values.

Therapy with the drug in the study significantly increased the proportion of patients without desaturation after exercises. In addition, investigators observed more patients without post-exertion dyspnea, including in special risk groups: those with concomitant cardiovascular diseases (including arterial hypertension) and metabolic disorders. The study revealed the effect Longidaza had on increasing the proportion of patients with 10% better FVC (forced vital capacity of the lungs) values among women of all ages and patients over 60 years of age.

According to Sergei Avdeev, despite the ongoing studies exploring post-COVID pulmonary fibrosis, clinical trials of Russian drugs with positive outcomes give hope for further developments in this therapeutic area.