Clinical trials in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a word of caution concerning choice of outcome measures.

I diopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a challenging and frustrating disease for clinicians and patients confronted with this clinical entity, since it is associated with a dismal ,3-yr median survival from the time of diagnosis [1] and an effective treatment regimen is yet to be determined. The lack of an effective treatment option has encouraged investigation of new treatment regimens, and promising agents are being investigated in several clinical trials worldwide. Despite aggressive, worldwide collaborations in pursuit of an effective regimen, significant progress is still needed to recommend a specific treatment regimen for IPF [2].