InterMune Inc. (ITMN)

[ghmm]

Pirfenidone:

The main value in the company is two fold their HCV Protease program (191 is the most advanced) and Pirfenidone for IPF. While finding details about Pirfenidone in IPF is more commonplace it is worth noting Pirfenidone has been broadly studied in other fibrotic indications both in-vitro and in-vivo. While this may not help in producing a successful outcome in the CAPACITY program it certainly does give some creditability to the drugs board anti-fibrotic proprieties (note there are some non-fibrotic studies I've listed too):

Effect of pirfenidone on the pulmonary fibrosis of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. [Studies in HPS are the most related as HPS patients develop a type of fibrosis that is reported as being quite similar to IPF. The NIH is currently conducting studies in this very rare disease]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&=&=&=&db=PubMed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=12126938

Phase II trial of pirfenidone in adults with neurofibromatosis type 1
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/10/1860

Oral Pirfenidone in patients with chronic fibrosis resulting from radiotherapy: a pilot study
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17540023
http://www.ro-journal.com/content/2/1/19

A pilot study in patients with established advanced liver fibrosis using pirfenidone
http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/55/11/1663

A double-blind, randomized, controlled study of oral pirfenidone for treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15794387&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus

Pirfenidone Modulates Airway Responsiveness, Inflammation, and Remodeling after Repeated Challenge
http://ajrcmb.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/3/366

Pirfenidone Slows Renal Function Decline in Patients with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/5/906

Pirfenidone Prevents the Development of a Vulnerable Substrate for Atrial Fibrillation in a Canine Model of Heart Failure
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/114/16/1703

There has been other work too but this list should give a good idea. I suggest doing a pub-med search on Pirfenidone for those interested in other research/studies. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/