Iloprost for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

Summary

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), or high blood pressure in the lungs, is common in patients with congenital heart disease. Historically these patients suffered significant morbidity and mortality due to a lack of effective therapies. More recently, advanced therapies which target the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of PAH have been introduced into clinical care. Oral, intravenous, subcutaneous, and inhaled therapies are all available for the treatment of PAH. Patients with PAH are first treated with oral agents (including sildenafil and bosentan). However, if these agents fail to achieve the desired effect for the patient, intravenous or inhaled therapies may be initiated. Combination therapy with multiple agents is common in routine clinical care. However, the most efficacious therapeutic regimen has yet to be delineated. The present study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of one specific regimen: iloprost, an inhaled prostacyclin derivative, used in combination with oral therapy (sildenafil and/or bosentan). Iloprost has been approved by the FDA for use in this patient population. Adults with PAH already receiving oral therapy will be invited to participate in this study. Iloprost will be added to their current therapeutic regimen for a period of three months, with pre- and post-treatment assessments. These will include a cardiopulmonary exercise test, BNP (a blood test), six minute walking distance, and a quality of life questionnaire.

Timeline

Start

2011-06

Primary completion

2013-05

Completion

2013-05

Publications

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• Background Christman BW. Lipid mediator dysregulation in primary pulmonary hypertension. Chest. 1998 Sep;114(3 Suppl):205S-207S. doi: 10.1378/chest.114.3_supplement.205s.
• Background Barst RJ, Rubin LJ, Long WA, McGoon MD, Rich S, Badesch DB, Groves BM, Tapson VF, Bourge RC, Brundage BH, Koerner SK, Langleben D, Keller CA, Murali S, Uretsky BF, Clayton LM, Jobsis MM, Blackburn SD, Shortino D, Crow JW; Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Study Group. A comparison of continuous intravenous epoprostenol (prostacyclin) with conventional therapy for primary pulmonary hypertension. N Engl J Med. 1996 Feb 1;334(5):296-301. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199602013340504.
• Background Badesch DB, Tapson VF, McGoon MD, Brundage BH, Rubin LJ, Wigley FM, Rich S, Barst RJ, Barrett PS, Kral KM, Jobsis MM, Loyd JE, Murali S, Frost A, Girgis R, Bourge RC, Ralph DD, Elliott CG, Hill NS, Langleben D, Schilz RJ, McLaughlin VV, Robbins IM, Groves BM, Shapiro S, Medsger TA Jr. Continuous intravenous epoprostenol for pulmonary hypertension due to the scleroderma spectrum of disease. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2000 Mar 21;132(6):425-34. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-132-6-200003210-00002.
• Background Simonneau G, Barst RJ, Galie N, Naeije R, Rich S, Bourge RC, Keogh A, Oudiz R, Frost A, Blackburn SD, Crow JW, Rubin LJ; Treprostinil Study Group. Continuous subcutaneous infusion of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue, in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Mar 15;165(6):800-4. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.165.6.2106079.
• Background Olschewski H, Simonneau G, Galie N, Higenbottam T, Naeije R, Rubin LJ, Nikkho S, Speich R, Hoeper MM, Behr J, Winkler J, Sitbon O, Popov W, Ghofrani HA, Manes A, Kiely DG, Ewert R, Meyer A, Corris PA, Delcroix M, Gomez-Sanchez M, Siedentop H, Seeger W; Aerosolized Iloprost Randomized Study Group. Inhaled iloprost for severe pulmonary hypertension. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 1;347(5):322-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa020204.
• Background McLaughlin VV, Oudiz RJ, Frost A, Tapson VF, Murali S, Channick RN, Badesch DB, Barst RJ, Hsu HH, Rubin LJ. Randomized study of adding inhaled iloprost to existing bosentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006 Dec 1;174(11):1257-63. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200603-358OC. Epub 2006 Aug 31.
• Background Krug S, Sablotzki A, Hammerschmidt S, Wirtz H, Seyfarth HJ. Inhaled iloprost for the control of pulmonary hypertension. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2009;5(1):465-74. doi: 10.2147/vhrm.s3223.
• Background Hallioglu O, Dilber E, Celiker A. Comparison of acute hemodynamic effects of aerosolized and intravenous iloprost in secondary pulmonary hypertension in children with congenital heart disease. Am J Cardiol. 2003 Oct 15;92(8):1007-9. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(03)00991-3.
• Background Limsuwan A, Khosithseth A, Wanichkul S, Khowsathit P. Aerosolized iloprost for pulmonary vasoreactivity testing in children with long-standing pulmonary hypertension related to congenital heart disease. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2009 Jan 1;73(1):98-104. doi: 10.1002/ccd.21793.

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