Tag Archives: selexipag

Introduction Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterised by irreversible pulmonary vascular proliferation and remodelling, resulting ultimately in right heart failure. Current therapy targets the nitric oxide, endothelin and prostacyclin pathways to promote pulmonary vasodilatation and reduce right ventricular afterload.1,2 Selexipag is an oral selective prostacyclin-receptor agonist that is used in the treatment of PAH. In the GRIPHON (Prostacyclin [PGI2] Receptor Agonist In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension) trial the optimum dose of selexipag for maximum therapeutic benefit frequently differed between individ

PH update from ERS The 2015 ESC/ERS guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH Updated collaborative guidelines from the ERS and ESC on the diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) were presented at the ERS by Professor Marc Humbert (chairperson of the ERS taskforce). PH diseases continue to be classified into one of five groups and its haemodynamic definition remains unchanged, with a mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥ 25 mmHg at right heart catheterisation. Right heart catheterisation There is a high prevalence of left heart disease in the PH population. As the pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) may be normal in

ISHLT overview: advances in transplantation Presenters shared the importance of increasing the source of hearts for transplantation through donation after cardiac death (DCD). “The lack of suitable donor hearts for transplantation has severely limited access to this life saving therapy for patients with advanced heart failure,” said Andrew Fisher (Professor of Respiratory Transplant Medicine, University of Newcastle). “The ability to safely perform DCD heart transplant together with improved overall management of potential heart donors represents a substantial step forward in addressing this clinical challenge,” he concluded. 40% in

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published recommendations supporting the use of two new lipid-lowering agents – both PCSK9 inhibitors, which inhibit the body’s natural system for eliminating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). A Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) has been published for evolocumab (Repatha®, Amgen) recommending it be used alone or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering therapies, for several types of patients at particularly high risk of cardiovascular events with persistently high cholesterol despite maximal tolerated lipid-lowering therapy.  The NICE recommendation is

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