Severe Pulmonary Hypertension Management Across Europe (PHAROS): an ERS Clinical Research Collaboration

Inhaled mosliciguat (BAY 1237592): targeting pulmonary vasculature via activating apo-sGC

Background

Oxidative stress associated with severe cardiopulmonary diseases leads to impairment in the nitric oxide/soluble guanylate cyclase signaling pathway, shifting native soluble guanylate cyclase toward heme-free apo-soluble guanylate cyclase. Here we describe a new inhaled soluble guanylate cyclase activator to target apo-soluble guanylate cyclase and outline its therapeutic potential.

Methods

We aimed to generate a novel soluble guanylate cyclase activator, specifically designed for local inhaled application in the lung. We report the discovery and in vitro and in vivo characterization of the soluble guanylate cyclase activator mosliciguat (BAY 1237592).

Results

Mosliciguat specifically activates apo-soluble guanylate cyclase leading to improved cardiopulmonary circulation. Lung-selective effects, e.g., reduced pulmonary artery pressure without reduced systemic artery pressure, were seen after inhaled but not after intravenous administration in a thromboxane-induced pulmonary hypertension minipig model. These effects were observed over a broad dose range with a long duration of action and were further enhanced under experimental oxidative stress conditions. In a unilateral broncho-occlusion minipig model, inhaled mosliciguat decreased pulmonary arterial pressure without ventilation/perfusion mismatch. With respect to airway resistance, mosliciguat showed additional beneficial bronchodilatory effects in an acetylcholine-induced rat model.

Conclusion

Inhaled mosliciguat may overcome treatment limitations in patients with pulmonary hypertension by improving pulmonary circulation and airway resistance without systemic exposure or ventilation/perfusion mismatch. Mosliciguat has the potential to become a new therapeutic paradigm, exhibiting a unique mode of action and route of application, and is currently under clinical development in phase Ib for pulmonary hypertension.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-02189-1.

The long-term survival in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: experience from a single center in China

The long-term prognosis of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) receiving different treatments is deserved to be analyzed in modern era of CTEPH treatment. From 2013 to 2019, a total of 364 patients diagnosed with CTEPH were retrospectively included, 14 patients were lost during follow-up. Among 350 patients included in the final analysis: 123 underwent pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA), 121 received balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), and 106 treated with targeted drug alone. The median period of follow-up was 51.2 months, the estimated survival at 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year was 97.1%, 93.3%, 86.9%, and 82.0% for the whole cohort; 100%, 99.20%, 96.5% and 92.5% in PEA group; 98.4%, 97.4%, 95.3% and 89.3% in BPA group;92.5%, 81.9%, 70.1% and 66.8% in patients who received targeted drug alone. In comparing with targeted treatment along, results of multivariate Cox analysis after adjusting the confounders showed that receiving PEA decreased the risk of death by 83% (HR [hazard ratio] 0.17, 95% CI [Confidence interval] 0.07-0.44) and receiving BPA decreased the risk of death by 89% (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.04-0.29). In conclusion, the estimated survival of CTEPH patients at 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year was 97.1%, 93.3%, 86.9%, and 82.0% respectively. The intervention of revascularization, including PEA and BPA, were preferred than treating with targeted drug alone in the view of long-term prognosis of CTEPH.