Riociguat for pulmonary hypertension

Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2014 May;7(3):259-70. doi: 10.1586/17512433.2014.893818. Epub 2014 Mar 3.

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension, an elevation of the mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mmHg, ultimately leads to premature death due to right ventricular dysfunction. Ten treatments from three classes of drugs are licensed for the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension. These treatments have improved exercise capacity but median survival is still poor. Additionally there are no licensed therapies for the other groups of pulmonary hypertension. Riociguat is a novel drug that stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase independently of nitric oxide and in synergy with nitric oxide. This review summarises the available evidence for riociguat in the treatment across all groups of pulmonary hypertension with a focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Guanylate Cyclase / metabolism*
  • Hemodynamics / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / immunology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / metabolism
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / mortality
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Pyrazoles / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazoles / adverse effects
  • Pyrazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrimidines / administration & dosage
  • Pyrimidines / adverse effects
  • Pyrimidines / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vasodilator Agents / administration & dosage
  • Vasodilator Agents / adverse effects
  • Vasodilator Agents / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyrimidines
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Guanylate Cyclase
  • riociguat