Systemic-Sclerosis-Related Interstitial Lung Disease: A Review of the Literature and Recommended Approach for Clinical Pharmacists.

Objective: To describe the efficacy, safety, and clinical utility of pharmacologic agents in the treatment of systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

Data sources: A review of the literature was performed using the terms lung diseases, (interstitial/therapy) AND (scleroderma, systemic/therapy) OR (scleroderma, systemic) AND (lung diseases, interstitial/therapy) in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science. ClinicalTrials.gov was also searched to identify ongoing studies. The initial search was performed in October 2022, with follow-up searches performed in October 2023.

Study selection and data abstraction: Articles reviewed were limited to those written in the English language, human studies, and adult populations.

Data synthesis: A variety of therapeutic agents, including mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide (CYC), rituximab (RTX), nintedanib, and tocilizumab (TCZ) have slowed the rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and disease progression. Only nintedanib and TCZ have a labeled indication for SSc-ILD. Two agents, belimumab and pirfenidone, have shown encouraging results in smaller phase II and phase III studies, but have yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Relevance to patient care and clinical practice: Patients with pulmonary manifestations of SSc-ILD have worse outcomes and lower survival rates compared with those without. It is imperative that disease management be individualized to achieve optimal patient-centered care. Pharmacists are uniquely suited to support this individualized management.

Conclusion: Numerous pharmacologic agents have been studied and repurposed in the treatment of SSc-ILD, with nintedanib and TCZ gaining approval to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in SSc-ILD. Other agents, including belimumab and pirfenidone, are on the horizon as potential treatment options; but further studies are needed to compare their efficacy and safety with the current standard of care.