Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Pages: 124-129

Journal: Respiratory Medicine

Volume number: 129

ISSN: 0954-6111

eISSN: 1532-3064

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2017.05.005

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 
Riociguat is a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator that has been approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or persistent/recurrent pulmonary hypertension following pulmonary endarterectomy. Riociguat is administered using an 8-week individual dose-adjustment scheme whereby a patient initially receives riociguat 1.0 mg three times daily (tid), and the dose is then increased every 2 weeks in the absence of hypotension, indicated by systolic blood pressure measurements and symptoms, up to a maximum dose of 2.5 mg tid. The established riociguat dose-adjustment scheme allows the dose of riociguat to be individually optimized in terms of tolerability and efficacy. The majority of patients in the phase III clinical trials and their long-term extension phases achieved the maximum riociguat dose, whereas some patients remained on lower doses. There is evidence that these patients, may experience benefits at riociguat doses lower than 2.5 mg tid, with improvement in exercise capacity being observed after only 2 4 weeks of treatment in the phase III studies and in the exploratory 1.5 mg maximum patient group of PATENT-1. This review aims to provide an overview of the rationale behind the riociguat dose adjustment scheme and examine its application to both clinical trials and real-life clinical practice. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Harvard Citation style: Hill, N., Rahaghi, F., Sood, N., Frey, R. and Ghofrani, H. (2017) Individual dose adjustment of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, Respiratory Medicine, 129, pp. 124-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2017.05.005

APA Citation style: Hill, N., Rahaghi, F., Sood, N., Frey, R., & Ghofrani, H. (2017). Individual dose adjustment of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Respiratory Medicine. 129, 124-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2017.05.005