Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech Tackling pulmonary fibrosis: Boehringer Ingelheim’s new drug + AI approach
Dec 12, 2025
In this discussion, Martin Beck, Senior Vice President at Boehringer Ingelheim, delves into the complexities of idiopathic and progressive pulmonary fibrosis, emphasizing its often-overlooked symptoms. He reveals insights on why many patients discontinue current treatments and shares how Boehringer's innovative AI tool, eLung, may revolutionize earlier diagnoses. Martin also introduces a new oral therapy that shows promise in improving patient adherence. The conversation sheds light on the company's commitment to tackling this fatal condition and the need for better awareness.
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PF Is A Silent, Rapidly Fatal Disease
- Idiopathic and progressive pulmonary fibrosis cause irreversible lung scarring and an extremely high mortality.
- Many patients misattribute symptoms and diagnosis is delayed by one to two years.
High Discontinuation Limits Current Therapies
- Existing antifibrotics (nintedanib, pirfenidone) have significant GI and skin side effects.
- Roughly 50–60% of patients discontinue treatment within six months due to tolerability.
Deploy AI To Shorten Diagnostic Delays
- Use AI-assisted CT analysis to flag microscopic progression and support radiologists.
- Pilot eLung in health systems and build use cases to drive clinical adoption and earlier treatment.