Esbriet
Pirfenidone tablets in 200 mg and 400 mg, the generic form of Esbriet, used to slow lung scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Packs hold 30 to 180 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200mg | 30 tablets | $76.50 | $2.55 |
| 200mg | 60 tablets | $141.00 | $2.35 |
| 200mg | 90 tablets | $203.40 | $2.26 |
| 200mg | 120 tablets | $265.20 | $2.21 |
| 200mg | 180 tablets | $392.40 | $2.18 |
| 400mg | 30 tablets | $140.10 | $4.67 |
| 400mg | 60 tablets | $265.20 | $4.42 |
| 400mg | 90 tablets | $395.10 | $4.39 |
| 400mg | 120 tablets | $519.60 | $4.33 |
| 400mg | 180 tablets | $770.40 | $4.28 |
- Category
- Respiratory Health · COVID-19 Support
- Active ingredient
- Pirfenidone
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet, Capsule
- Strengths
- 200/400mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Therapeutic Class
- Antifibrotic
- Pharmacological Class
- Pyridone derivative
- Minor Side Effects
- Sun sensitivity, Nausea
- Moderate Side Effects
- Rash, Abdominal pain
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet, Capsule
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Roche
- Duration
- Daily (consistent levels needed)
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Ciprofloxacin, Fluvoxamine
- Age Restrictions
- Not for children.
What you will receive
Esbriet is the originator brand name, made by Roche. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Esbriet.
- The same active ingredient (Pirfenidone) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which Esbriet strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Esbriet tablets are available as generic pirfenidone in 200mg and 400mg. For each strength, pack sizes range from 30 to 180 tablets. It is generic pirfenidone, not the original Esbriet. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Esbriet delivered to Hong Kong for a longer course?
For longer Esbriet courses, tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. Standard airmail takes 14 to 21 business days, or 30 at most, and is untracked. Very large orders may be split into several parcels.
What is another name for pirfenidone?
Esbriet is a brand name of pirfenidone, which is also sold as Pirfenex. Here, pirfenidone can be bought online as generic Esbriet. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does pirfenidone take to work?
There is no quick change to feel. The medicine works by slowing the rate at which lung function drops, and that shows up in breathing tests taken over months rather than in day-to-day symptoms. Results from tests a year apart are what usually show whether it is helping.
Can I drink alcohol with pirfenidone?
Pirfenidone can push up liver enzymes, and alcohol puts the liver under strain too. An occasional drink is unlikely to cause trouble, but heavy or daily drinking is better avoided while you are taking it. If liver blood tests have already been raised, steering clear of alcohol is the safer choice.
Does smoking affect pirfenidone?
Yes. Tobacco smoke makes the liver clear pirfenidone faster, so a smoker can end up with less of the medicine in the blood than a non-smoker on the same dose. Stopping smoking has the opposite effect, raising the level, so the dose may need adjusting afterwards.
What is the difference between 200 mg and 400 mg pirfenidone tablets?
Only the amount of pirfenidone in each tablet. The daily total is what matters; 400 mg tablets mean fewer to swallow at each dose, while 200 mg tablets allow smaller steps if the daily amount is being increased gradually at the start of treatment.
How should I store pirfenidone tablets?
Keep the tablets in their blister strips inside the box, somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight. They do not need the fridge. If you buy several packs at once, work through the oldest first so nothing sits unused for a long stretch.
About Esbriet
What pirfenidone is for
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is scarring of the lungs that appears without a clear cause. As the scar tissue thickens, the lungs stiffen and breathing becomes harder. Pirfenidone slows that build-up. It is not expected to clear scarring that is already there, so the aim is to keep lung function from falling as quickly as it otherwise would.
How it is taken
Three doses a day, with meals. Treatment usually starts low and is stepped up over about two weeks to the full daily amount, which is where the 200 mg tablets come in handy. Taking each dose with food eases nausea and dizziness — the two complaints people notice most in the early weeks.
Side effects, and the sun
Nausea, indigestion, diarrhoea, tiredness, headache, broken sleep and a smaller appetite are the common ones, and they often settle as the body adjusts. The effect to plan around is on the skin: pirfenidone makes sunburn far easier to get, so cover up, use a high-factor sunscreen and skip sunbeds. Blistering or spreading rash, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, or swelling of the lips and face needs urgent attention.
Other medicines, smoking and alcohol
Smoking changes how much pirfenidone you get. Tobacco smoke makes the liver clear it faster, so a smoker carries less in the blood, and someone who gives up partway through ends up with more than before, which is when the dose may be revisited. Fluvoxamine and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin push levels up instead. The liver is also where alcohol is processed, and pirfenidone can strain it, so heavy drinking is best avoided.
Strengths, packs and ordering
The brand Esbriet is pirfenidone; the tablets on this page are generic pirfenidone in 200 mg and 400 mg, coming in packs of 30 to 180 tablets. Strength is mostly about convenience. On 400 mg you swallow fewer tablets at each sitting; 200 mg allows finer steps during the build-up at the start. When you order, match the strength to the dose you take, and pick a pack size that covers the stretch between orders.
Sources
- DailyMed - Search Results for pirfenidone — DailyMed / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Pirfenidone 267 mg Film-coated Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 13845 — UK Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC)