Chest Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Free
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (27)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tapson, V. F.
Right arrow Articles by Barst, R. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tapson, V. F.
Right arrow Articles by Barst, R. J.
(Chest. 2006;129:683-688.)
© 2006 American College of Chest Physicians

Safety and Efficacy of IV Treprostinil for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension*

A Prospective, Multicenter, Open-Label, 12-Week Trial

Victor F. Tapson, MD, FCCP; Mardi Gomberg-Maitland, MD, MSc; Vallerie V. McLaughlin, MD, FCCP; Raymond L. Benza, MD; Allison C. Widlitz, MS, PA-C; Abigail Krichman, RRT and Robyn J. Barst, MD

* From the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Division of Cardiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Michigan; Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY; Division of Cardiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL.

Correspondence to: Victor F. Tapson, MD, FCCP, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Room 351 Bell Building, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710; e-mail: tapso001{at}mc.duke.edu

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease for which both continuous IV epoprostenol and continuous subcutaneous treprostinil have proven effective. With continuous IV treprostinil having potential advantages over both of the above therapies, we investigated the safety and efficacy of this regimen in patients with PAH.

Methods: We conducted a 12-week, prospective, open-label, uncontrolled, multicenter study of continuous IV treprostinil in 16 patients with PAH that was idiopathic (n = 8), related to connective tissue disease (n = 6), or related to congenital heart disease (n = 2). The primary end point was change from baseline to week 12 in exercise capacity assessed by the 6-min walk (6MW) test.

Results: Continuous IV treprostinil increased 6MW distance (mean ± SE) by 82 m from baseline (319 ± 22 m) to week 12 (400 ± 26 m) [n = 14; p = 0.001]. There were also significant improvements in the secondary end points of Naughton-Balke treadmill time (p = 0.007), Borg dyspnea score (p = 0.008), and hemodynamics (mean pulmonary artery pressure, p = 0.03; cardiac index, p = 0.002; pulmonary vascular resistance, p = 0.001) at week 12 compared with baseline. Side effects were mild and consistent with those reported with prostacyclin treatment. One death, unrelated to study drug, occurred during the 12-week study in a patient who received 3 days of treprostinil and died 2 weeks later.

Conclusions: Long-term IV infusion of treprostinil is safe and appears to be effective for the treatment of patients with PAH.

Key Words: idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension • prostacyclin analog • pulmonary arterial hypertension related to congenital heart disease • pulmonary arterial hypertension related to connective tissue disease • treprostinil




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Crit Care NurseHome page
A. C. Widlitz, S. McDevitt, G. R. Ward, and A. Krichman
Practical Aspects of Continuous Intravenous Treprostinil Therapy
Crit. Care Nurse, April 1, 2007; 27(2): 41 - 50.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Respir JHome page
M. Gomberg-Maitland
Learning to pair therapies and the expanding matrix for pulmonary arterial hypertension: is more better?
Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2006; 28(4): 683 - 686.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
K. C. Patterson, A. Weissmann, T. Ahmadi, and H. W. Farber
Imatinib Mesylate in the Treatment of Refractory Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Ann Intern Med, July 18, 2006; 145(2): 152 - 153.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the American College of Chest Physicians.