Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the few rare lung diseases with a mature trial infrastructure in Türkiye. Our screen found 144 sites in 25 cities that have taken part in registered IPF studies or published on the disease, and 16 industry-sponsored IPF trials have already opened Turkish sites. With an estimated 12,000 or more patients and both antifibrotics reimbursed, Türkiye is a proven, not a speculative, choice for the next IPF programme.
Registry and literature data as of 2026-09-24 · Published 2026-10-01
12,000+
estimated patients in Türkiye
144
sites with IPF trial or publication experience
25
cities with experienced sites
16
industry IPF trials that used Turkish sites
IPF at a glance
IPF (ORPHA:2032) is a chronic, progressive fibrosing lung disease of unknown cause, usually diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 70. Estimated prevalence is 13 to 20 per 100,000 people worldwide, and only a small share of cases are familial. Two antifibrotic drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, slow the decline in forced vital capacity but do not stop it, so the pipeline remains active: 106 industry sponsors have run 234 Phase 1 to 3 IPF studies, 47 of them active today.
The landscape in Türkiye
Applied to a population of about 85 million, global prevalence figures suggest 11,000 to 17,000 people living with IPF in Türkiye. Diagnosis follows the international pattern: high-resolution CT, pulmonary function testing and a multidisciplinary interstitial lung disease discussion, available in the pulmonology departments of university hospitals and in Türkiye's dedicated chest diseases training hospitals. Pirfenidone and nintedanib are licensed and reimbursed under the national insurance scheme with a specialist report, so background antifibrotic therapy is routine.
IPF is where Turkish sites have the deepest industry experience among rare lung diseases. Our screen of the trial registries and PubMed found 144 sites across 25 cities, led by İstanbul, İzmir and Ankara, followed by Adana, Bursa and Antalya, with 30 investigators publishing on IPF since 2016. Sixteen industry-sponsored IPF trials have included Turkish sites, four of them still active, which means site staff already know the assessments, the drug supply chain and the monitoring cadence that IPF protocols require.
Why Türkiye for the next IPF study
Most active IPF studies still recruit in a single country, and the well known European and North American centres are shared between several programmes. Turkish pulmonology departments serve large catchment populations through a single national payer, so a handful of centres can see hundreds of IPF patients a year. Serial spirometry and DLCO are standard, and the lung function laboratories in the referral hospitals meet the calibration and training requirements that central reading vendors impose.
Because 16 industry trials have already run here, Turkish IPF sites are known quantities: they have been audited, they have completed start-up before, and their investigators have delivered data into global databases. That lowers the risk of adding Türkiye to a Phase 2b or Phase 3 country list, and it shortens start-up for sponsors who need patients in the next twelve months.
How MonitorCRO opens Türkiye
MonitorCRO has run clinical trials in Türkiye since 1999 and acts as legal representative for international sponsors before TİTCK, so no local entity is needed. We prepare and file the single regulatory and ethics application, contract the centres, handle the import permit for the investigational product and monitor the sites on our own Helios EDC. The names of the IPF centres and investigators behind the numbers above are shared during feasibility, with their consent.
Questions sponsors ask
Are pirfenidone and nintedanib reimbursed in Türkiye?
Yes. Both antifibrotics are licensed and reimbursed under the national insurance scheme with a specialist report, so protocols that require background antifibrotic therapy match routine care.
Do Turkish sites have experience with central spirometry and HRCT reads?
Yes. Sixteen industry IPF trials have used Turkish sites, most with central spirometry over-read and central HRCT review. Site staff are familiar with the equipment, calibration logs and image transfer requirements.
How many IPF patients could a Turkish centre screen?
The large pulmonology departments in İstanbul, İzmir and Ankara each follow several hundred interstitial lung disease patients. We size the eligible IPF population per protocol in the feasibility snapshot.
Can Turkish sites be added to a Phase 3 that is already running?
Yes. Adding Türkiye is a new country application to TİTCK with the current protocol version. MonitorCRO acts as legal representative and runs submission, contracting and import in parallel.
Planning a study in this disease?
Tell us the indication, phase and timeline. We reply within two working days with a first view of centres, patient access and a start-up timeline for Türkiye.
Discuss your studySources
- MedlinePlus Genetics: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Orphanet: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ORPHA:2032)
- TurkStat (TÜİK), population of Türkiye
- MonitorCRO screen of ClinicalTrials.gov (industry Phase 1 to 3) and PubMed (Türkiye affiliations, 2016 onwards), September 2026
MonitorCRO Rare Disease Research