Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41232942›Full record

Trial reportThe European respiratory journal2026

A European multicentre, randomised controlled trial of pirfenidone in bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after bilateral lung transplantation.

Michael Perch, Paul Corris, Jim Lordan, Vasiliki Bessa, Jesper Magnusson, Geert M Verleden, Robin Vos, Nikolaus Kneidinger, Inga Leuckfeld, Erik Verschuuren and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter StudyClinical Trial, Phase II
In one paragraph

Trial report in The European respiratory journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. European society for organ transplantation clinical practice guideline on prevention and treatment of chronic lung allograft dysfunction.Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Guiding light: new European guidelines on CLAD prevention and treatment.Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Michael PerchDepartment of Cardiology, Section for Lung Transplantation, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark Michael.Perch@regionh.dk.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9740-1246
Paul CorrisTranslational and Clinical Science Institute Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Jim LordanFreeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Vasiliki BessaRuhrlandklinik, West German Lung Transplantation Center, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Jesper MagnussonDepartment of Pulmonology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5630-0155
Geert M VerledenUniversity Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3048-2429
Robin VosUniversity Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3468-9251
Nikolaus KneidingerDepartment of Medicine V, Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Inga LeuckfeldDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Erik VerschuurenUniversity Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Jens GottliebHannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9540-9022

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is a major obstacle to improving outcomes after lung transplantation. Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), characterised by progressive decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV

methodsAn investigator-initiated, international, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial was conducted in nine European lung transplant centres. Adults with bilateral lung transplants and progressive BOS were randomised (1:1) to receive pirfenidone 2403 mg·day

findingsFrom 1 May 2015 to 1 December 2019, 477 patients were screened, and 90 were randomised to pirfenidone (n=48) or placebo (n=42). Both groups showed continued decline in FEV

interpretationPirfenidone did not show superiority over placebo and standard care in this exploratory trial. It cannot be recommended for treating BOS. Further research is needed to explore other treatments for CLAD to improve long-term outcomes after lung transplantation.

Indexed as

Antifibrotic AgentsBronchiolitis ObliteransLung TransplantationPyridonesAdultBronchiolitis Obliterans SyndromeDouble-Blind MethodEuropeFemaleForced Expiratory VolumeHumansMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeAntifibrotic AgentspirfenidonePyridones

Identifiers

PMID41232942
PMCPMC13044300

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.