FURIN and pulmonary fibrosis: In 2019, Axten et al. developed and patented furin inhibitors, specifically hundreds of compounds with the general formula III (Figure 12), for use in the treatment of fibrotic diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis, liver fibrosis, skin fibrosis, ocular fibrosis, cardiac fibrosis, and other various fibrotic conditions.