A recent article on Pulmonary Hypertension News reports on the findings of a meta-analysis which suggest that prostacyclin pathway-targeting therapies hold promise for treating chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), particularly patients who are ineligible for surgery or experience persistent/recurrent symptoms after surgical intervention. However, the authors emphasize the need for larger-scale studies to confirm the effectiveness of these treatments.
Published in Pulmonary Circulation the study pooled data from six randomized controlled trials involving 387 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients. These trials evaluated three prostacyclin-based drugs—oral selexipag (Uptravi), inhaled iloprost (Ventavis), and subcutaneous treprostinil (Remodulin). Results indicated significant improvements in key measures, including pulmonary vascular resistance, World Health Organization (WHO) functional class, NT-proBNP levels (a marker of cardiac stress), right atrial pressure, and cardiac index. Additionally, exercise capacity, assessed via the six-minute walk test, showed favourable trends.
Safety profiles of these therapies were generally positive, with most side effects reported as mild and serious adverse events being rare. Despite these encouraging findings, the researchers highlighted that current clinical evidence remains limited and somewhat inconsistent. They advocate for further robust studies to validate the therapeutic potential of prostacyclins in the management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, particularly for nonsurgical candidates.
Read the report about the study at this link on Pulmonary Hypertension News
Read the original study at this link on Pulmonary Circulation
Citation of original study
Prostacyclin pathway vasodilators in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH): A systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Weijun Li, Xingxue Pang, Jun Chen, Xiaoxia Ren, Huaibing Zhao, Xu Wang, Ning Zhao, Dayi Hu, Zhongyi Jin, First published: 16 October 2024, https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.70001
Summary by Louise Bouman – van der Waal, Chair of the Dutch Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Stichting Pulmonale Hypertensie.
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