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Practical management of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Riociguat is one of several approved therapies available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Treatment should be initiated and monitored at an expert center by a physician experienced in treating PAH, and the dose adjusted in the absence of signs and symptoms of hypotension. In certain populations, including patients with hepatic or renal impairment, the elderly, and smokers, riociguat exposure may differ, and dose adjustments should therefore be made with caution according to the established scheme. Common adverse events are often easily managed, particularly if they are discussed before starting therapy. Combination therapy with riociguat and other PAH-targeted agents is feasible and generally well tolerated, although the coadministration of phosphodiesterase type?5 inhibitors (PDE5i) and riociguat is contraindicated. An open-label, randomized study is currently ongoing to assess whether patients who do not achieve treatment goals while receiving PDE5i may benefit from switching to riociguat. In this review, we provide a clinical view on the practical management of patients with PAH receiving riociguat, with a focus on the opinions and personal experience of the authors. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

SUBMITTER: Halank M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710674 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Practical management of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Halank Michael M Tausche Kristin K Grünig Ekkehard E Ewert Ralf R Preston Ioana R IR

Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease 20190101

Riociguat is one of several approved therapies available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Treatment should be initiated and monitored at an expert center by a physician experienced in treating PAH, and the dose adjusted in the absence of signs and symptoms of hypotension. In certain populations, including patients with hepatic or renal impairment, the elderly, and smokers, riociguat exposure may differ, and dose adjustments should therefore be made with caution according ...[more]

PMID: 31438774

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Project description:This analysis aimed to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) and PK/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship of riociguat and its metabolite M1 in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Blood samples were collected in two phase 3 studies-PATENT-1 (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Soluble Guanylate Cyclase-Stimulator Trial 1; 12 weeks; PAH) and CHEST-1 (Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Soluble Guanylate Cyclase-Stimulator Trial 1; 16 weeks; CTEPH)-and long-term extensions. Patients were initially randomized to receive placebo or riociguat, and they received riociguat in the extensions. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was used to develop a population PK model describing riociguat PK. PK/PD relationships were investigated by comparing derived PK parameters with changes in PD parameters. Covariate analyses included smoking status, bosentan comedication, bilirubin levels, and baseline creatinine clearance. The PK of riociguat/M1 was described by a one-compartment model. Mean population estimates for riociguat absorption rate constant, clearance, and volume of distribution were 2.17/h, 1.81 L/h, and 32.3 L, respectively; for M1 they were 0.258/h, 3.16 L/h, and 124 L. Interindividual variability was moderate for riociguat and moderate to high for M1. There was no evidence of time- or dose-dependent changes in riociguat/M1 PK. Riociguat clearance was higher in smokers (120% increase) and bosentan-treated patients (36% increase) than in nonsmokers and those not receiving bosentan. There was an inverse correlation between bilirubin and riociguat clearance. In PK/PD analyses, 6-minute walk distance was related to hemodynamic parameters, particularly pulmonary vascular resistance. Riociguat PK were described by a one-compartment model. Effects of covariates on riociguat and M1 PK were established, and a PK/PD relationship was demonstrated. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: PATENT-1, NCT00810693; PATENT-2, NCT00863681; CHEST-1, NCT00855465; CHEST-2, NCT00910429.).

Project description:BackgroundThe evidence regarding triple oral combination therapy for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is scarce. This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of triple oral combination therapy with macitentan, riociguat, and selexipag.MethodsAmong consecutive patients with PAH who were referred to our hospital from 2009 to 2020, those who underwent triple oral combination therapy using macitentan, riociguat, and selexipag were retrospectively analyzed. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic assessments and Kaplan-Meier analyses of all-cause death and initiation of prostacyclin infusion were conducted.ResultsTwenty-six patients underwent this combination therapy. These patients were predominantly female (73.1%) with a median age of 38 years at baseline and nine patients were taking some PAH medications at baseline. The median time from initiation of the first PAH drug to the third PAH drug in treatment naïve patients was 24 days (interquartile range, 12-47 days). Four patients (15.0%) discontinued taking any of the three vasodilators because of adverse events, and 17 patients (65.4%) reached the maximum dose of all three drugs. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and cardiac output improved by 29%, 65%, and 82%, respectively (median observation period: 441 days) and similar improvements were observed in treatment-naïve patients at baseline. The survival rate and prostacyclin infusion-free rate since administration of all three vasodilators was 93.3% and 74.6% at 3 years, respectively. When patients were divided by risk stratification, the prostacyclin-free rate at 3 years was 92.9% in low-/intermediate-risk patients and 55.0% in high-risk patients.ConclusionTriple oral combination therapy with macitentan, riociguat, and selexipag sufficiently improved clinical parameters and was well tolerated in patients with PAH. This combination could be a particularly promising strategy in patients with low/intermediate risk and possibly even in half of patients with high risk. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Project description:IntroductionPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are rare, life-threatening diseases in which chronically elevated pressure in the pulmonary arteries results in vascular remodeling and right heart failure. Treatment goals are to improve patient functioning, exercise capacity, and symptoms; delay disease progression; normalize the right ventricular function; and, ultimately, improve survival. Therapeutic management centers on the affected physiologic pathways and includes endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, and prostacyclins. Recently, riociguat, a novel therapeutic agent that stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase via the nitric oxide pathway, was approved for the treatment of both PAH and CTEPH. Clinical trial data show that riociguat significantly improves exercise capacity as well as hemodynamic parameters in PAH/CTEPH.MethodsWe report on the early use of riociguat at our center-a large, metropolitan pulmonary hypertension treatment facility that cares for >250 patients with PAH/CTEPH. Through our initial clinical experience, we offer evidence on the benefits of riociguat in three patients with PAH associated with different etiologies, symptoms, and treatment goals.ResultsOverall, patients at our center who have received riociguat have experienced clinical benefits, including improvement in symptomatic and hemodynamic parameters, increase in 6-min walk distance, and improvement or stabilization of World Health Organization functional class. In several cases, initial response to riociguat has been encouraging and has helped patients reach their treatment goals. Riociguat appears to be well tolerated, with only one patient experiencing mild, self-limiting side effects.ConclusionNovel agents are continuously being introduced into the PAH/CTEPH armamentarium, and clinicians must decide how best to integrate them into their existing treatment algorithms. This case series offers initial evidence from our practice on the benefits of riociguat in optimizing hemodynamic and functional parameters. These benefits have been observed in PAH associated with different etiologies and functional status, and in both first-line and combination use.FundingBayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

Project description:Pulmonary hypertension is defined as a resting mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mm Hg or above. This review deals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a type of pulmonary hypertension that primarily affects the pulmonary vasculature. In PAH, the pulmonary vasculature is dynamically obstructed by vasoconstriction, structurally obstructed by adverse vascular remodeling, and pathologically non-compliant as a result of vascular fibrosis and stiffening. Many cell types are abnormal in PAH, including vascular cells (endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts) and inflammatory cells. Progress has been made in identifying the causes of PAH and approving new drug therapies. A cancer-like increase in cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis reflects acquired abnormalities of mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics. Mutations in the type II bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR2) gene dramatically increase the risk of developing heritable PAH. Epigenetic dysregulation of DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNAs also contributes to disease pathogenesis. Aberrant bone morphogenetic protein signaling and epigenetic dysregulation in PAH promote cell proliferation in part through induction of a Warburg mitochondrial-metabolic state of uncoupled glycolysis. Complex changes in cytokines (interleukins and tumor necrosis factor), cellular immunity (T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, macrophages), and autoantibodies suggest that PAH is, in part, an autoimmune, inflammatory disease. Obstructive pulmonary vascular remodeling in PAH increases right ventricular afterload causing right ventricular hypertrophy. In some patients, maladaptive changes in the right ventricle, including ischemia and fibrosis, reduce right ventricular function and cause right ventricular failure. Patients with PAH have dyspnea, reduced exercise capacity, exertional syncope, and premature death from right ventricular failure. PAH targeted therapies (prostaglandins, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, and soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators), used alone or in combination, improve functional capacity and hemodynamics and reduce hospital admissions. However, these vasodilators do not target key features of PAH pathogenesis and have not been shown to reduce mortality, which remains about 50% at five years. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of PAH.

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Practical management of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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Practical management of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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