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D'Amato A, Prosperi S, Severino P, Myftari V, Labbro Francia A, Cestiè C, Pierucci N, Marek-Iannucci S, Mariani MV, Germanò R, Fanisio F, Lavalle C, Maestrini V, Badagliacca R, Mancone M, Fedele F, Vizza CD. Current Approaches to Worsening Heart Failure: Pathophysiological and Molecular Insights. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1574. [PMID: 38338853 PMCID: PMC10855688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Worsening heart failure (WHF) is a severe and dynamic condition characterized by significant clinical and hemodynamic deterioration. It is characterized by worsening HF signs, symptoms and biomarkers, despite the achievement of an optimized medical therapy. It remains a significant challenge in cardiology, as it evolves into advanced and end-stage HF. The hyperactivation of the neurohormonal, adrenergic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are well known pathophysiological pathways involved in HF. Several drugs have been developed to inhibit the latter, resulting in an improvement in life expectancy. Nevertheless, patients are exposed to a residual risk of adverse events, and the exploration of new molecular pathways and therapeutic targets is required. This review explores the current landscape of WHF, highlighting the complexities and factors contributing to this critical condition. Most recent medical advances have introduced cutting-edge pharmacological agents, such as guanylate cyclase stimulators and myosin activators. Regarding device-based therapies, invasive pulmonary pressure measurement and cardiac contractility modulation have emerged as promising tools to increase the quality of life and reduce hospitalizations due to HF exacerbations. Recent innovations in terms of WHF management emphasize the need for a multifaceted and patient-centric approach to address the complex HF syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea D'Amato
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Prosperi
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Severino
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Myftari
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Aurora Labbro Francia
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cestiè
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Pierucci
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefanie Marek-Iannucci
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Valerio Mariani
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rosanna Germanò
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Lavalle
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Maestrini
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Badagliacca
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Mancone
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carmine Dario Vizza
- Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Chan JCH, Siddiqui A. Pharmacological Treatment of Heart Failure: Recent Advances. Curr Cardiol Rev 2024; 20:CCR-EPUB-138026. [PMID: 38284706 DOI: 10.2174/011573403x270178231228061314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heart failure is a clinical condition with high mortality and morbidity that occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the metabolic demands of the body. The pharmacological management of heart failure has been revolutionized over the past decade with novel treatments. OBJECTIVE The aim of the review is to highlight the recent pharmacological advances in the management of heart failure. RESULTS Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), iron carboxymaltose, finerenone, omecamtiv mecarbil, and vericiguat have been shown to reduce hospitalization for heart failure. However, only SGLT2i, vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil have been shown to reduce cardiovascular death. Finerenone has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events and renal adverse outcomes in patients with diabetes and kidney disease. Currently, only SGLT2i has been studied in patients beyond the heart failure-reduced ejection fraction population. CONCLUSION The current quadruple therapy in the treatment of heart failure has demonstrated a reduction in the hospitalization of patients and a decrease in mortality associated with the condition. Individualized heart failure therapy research have shown some benefit in select heart failure patients. Further research on novel therapies will help improve heart failure patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C H Chan
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Areeb Siddiqui
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, Scotland
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Mentz RJ, Stebbins A, Butler J, Chiang CE, Ezekowitz JA, Hernandez AF, Hilkert R, Lam CSP, McDonald K, O'Connor CM, Pieske B, Ponikowski P, Roessig L, Sweitzer NK, Voors AA, Anstrom KJ, Armstrong PW. Recurrent Hospitalizations and Response to Vericiguat in Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction. JACC Heart Fail 2024:S2213-1779(23)00840-5. [PMID: 38363272 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction), vericiguat compared with placebo reduced cardiovascular death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction. OBJECTIVES This study explored the association between vericiguat and recurrent hospitalizations and subsequent mortality after HF hospitalization. METHODS The treatment effect of vericiguat on the burden of HF hospitalizations was evaluated by assessing total HF hospitalization and cardiovascular death in the overall trial and based on baseline N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels with and without adjustment for VICTORIA model covariates (ie, baseline variables associated with the primary endpoint) assessed via the Andersen-Gill method. Associations between vericiguat and recurrent hospitalization and mortality adjusted for VICTORIA model covariates are reported. RESULTS There were 1,222 total HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths among 2,526 patients in the vericiguat group and 1,336 total events among 2,524 patients in the placebo group (unadjusted HR: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.81-0.97] and adjusted HR: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.84-1.01]). In the subgroup with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels ≤2,816 pg/mL (ie, Q1 and Q2; median or below), there was a suggestion of a benefit with vericiguat (adjusted HRs of 0.80 [95% CI: 0.64-1.01] and 0.77 [95% CI: 0.62-0.94], respectively) compared with those above this value (adjusted HRs of 1.12 [95% CI: 0.93-1.34] and 0.87 [95% CI: 0.74-1.04] for Q3 and Q4). There was no significant difference in treatment effect between patients with vs without an HF hospitalization. After HF hospitalization, the all-cause mortality rate (events per 100 patient-years) was 48.6 for vericiguat and 44.1 for placebo. CONCLUSIONS Additional investigation of the association between vericiguat and cardiovascular death and total HF hospitalizations by recurrent event analysis did not show a statistically significant reduction in events. Mortality was high after HF hospitalization, emphasizing the need for further therapies to reduce morbidity and mortality. (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction [VICTORIA]; NCT02861534).
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Mentz
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amanda Stebbins
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Javed Butler
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Chern-En Chiang
- Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kenneth McDonald
- St. Vincent's University Hospital and University College, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Burkert Pieske
- Charité University Medicine, German Heart Center, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Nancy K Sweitzer
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Adriaan A Voors
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kevin J Anstrom
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Dies RM, Jackson CN, Flanagan CJ, Sinnathamby ES, Spillers NJ, Potharaju P, Singh N, Varrassi G, Ahmadzadeh S, Shekoohi S, Kaye AD. The Evolving Role of Vericiguat in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure. Cureus 2023; 15:e49782. [PMID: 38161537 PMCID: PMC10757766 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.49782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a chronic and progressive clinical disorder characterized by an inability to pump sufficient blood to meet metabolic demands. It poses a substantial global healthcare burden, leading to high morbidity, mortality, and economic impact. Current treatments for HF include lifestyle modifications, guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT), and device interventions, but the need for novel therapeutic approaches remains significant. The introduction of vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, has shown promise in improving outcomes for heart failure patients. Vericiguat addresses the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of heart failure by augmenting the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway, leading to enhanced cardiac contractility and vasodilation. Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of vericiguat, such as the Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (VICTORIA) trial, have demonstrated promising results. It has been shown that vericiguat, when added to standard therapy, reduces the risk of HF hospitalization and cardiovascular death in patients with symptomatic chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The addition of vericiguat to the current armamentarium of HF treatments provides clinicians with a novel therapeutic option to further optimize patient outcomes. Its potential benefits extend beyond symptom management, aiming to reduce hospitalizations and mortality rates associated with HF. As with any new treatment, the appropriate patient selection, monitoring, and management of potential adverse effects are essential. Further research is warranted to determine the long-term benefits, optimal dosing strategies, and potential combination therapies involving vericiguat. Its ability to target the cGMP pathway provides a unique mechanism of action, offering potential benefits in improving clinical outcomes for HF patients. Continued investigation and clinical experience will further elucidate the role of vericiguat in the management of HF and its overall impact on reducing the healthcare burden associated with this debilitating condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross M Dies
- College of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Corrie N Jackson
- College of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Chelsi J Flanagan
- College of Medicine, University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, USA
| | - Evan S Sinnathamby
- College of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, USA
| | - Noah J Spillers
- College of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Pooja Potharaju
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Naina Singh
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | | | - Shahab Ahmadzadeh
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Sahar Shekoohi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Alan D Kaye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
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Zhang E, Chen C, Wang Y, Weng Q, Xu RA, Lin J. An Investigation of Pharmacokinetic Interaction of Vericiguat with Apigenin based on a Newly Developed Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry Assay. Curr Med Chem 2023; 31:CMC-EPUB-134902. [PMID: 37888816 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673258387230921090445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vericiguat, as a new stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), was recently approved as a first-in-class treatment for reducing risks in patients with ejection fraction less than 45 percent and heart failure (HF) in the USA. OBJECTIVE The main aim of the present experiment was to establish an acceptable, sensitive assay based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for quantitatively analyzing the plasma concentration levels of vericiguat in rats, and to further evaluate the effect of apigenin on the metabolism of vericiguat in vivo. METHOD In sample processes, acetonitrile was finally chosen for quickly precipitating protein. The levels of vericiguat in plasma were analyzed by a Xevo TQ-S triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (Milford, MA, USA) in a positive ion mode. RESULTS The scope of the calibration standard for vericiguat ranged from 0.5 to 1000 ng/mL, where a great linearity was acceptable. The lower limit of quantification (also called LLOQ) of vericiguat presented the sensitivity of this assay was evaluated as low as 0.5 ng/mL. Additionally, selectivity, accuracy and precision, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability were all verified. Subsequently, this approach also supported to assess the plasmatic concentrations of vericiguat from an interaction survey on herb-- drug, in which oral administration of apigenin (20 mg/kg) obviously increased the plasmatic levels of vericiguat and altered the pharmacokinetics of vericiguat in rats. CONCLUSION These results would help us to further understand the pharmacokinetic properties of vericiguat when co-administration with apigenin, and to avoid unexpected clinical risks in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- En Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, NingBo Medical Treatment Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaojie Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Renji College of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
- Basic Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinghua Weng
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University (Wenzhou People's Hospital), Zhejiang, China
| | - Ren-Ai Xu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jingjing Lin
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
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Speranza-Sánchez M, Zavaleta E, Sancho-Zumbado S, Elizondo-Urrutia JC, Quirós-Romero A, Chaverri-Fernández J, García-Montero J, Arguedas-Chacón S. Dosing Challenges and Benefits of Vericiguat in a Patient With Decompensated Heart Failure: A Case Report. Cureus 2023; 15:e48065. [PMID: 38046500 PMCID: PMC10689053 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vericiguat has emerged as a promising add-on therapy for decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients requiring hospitalization or IV diuretic administration. In the VICTORIA trial (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction), vericiguat was demonstrated to significantly reduce mortality and hospitalization rates. However, the effect of vericiguat on patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors remains uncertain. In this report, we present a complicated case of dilated heart failure receiving low doses of foundational therapy due to a patient's intolerance but still experiencing recurrent hospital readmissions. Following six months of low-dose vericiguat as an add-on therapy, the patient exhibited important improvements in various clinical parameters, including cardiac and renal function. Nonetheless, further investigation is crucial to substantiate the additional benefits of combination therapy. These findings provide further evidence for the potential benefits of vericiguat when treating HFrEF.
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Falco L, Brescia B, Catapano D, Martucci ML, Valente F, Gravino R, Contaldi C, Pacileo G, Masarone D. Vericiguat: The Fifth Harmony of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 10:388. [PMID: 37754817 PMCID: PMC10531735 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10090388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is a chronic and progressive syndrome that continues to be a substantial financial burden for health systems in Western countries. Despite remarkable advances in pharmacologic and device-based therapy over the last few years, patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction have a high residual risk of adverse outcomes, even when treated with optimal guideline-directed medical therapy and in a clinically stable state. Worsening heart failure episodes represent a critical event in the heart failure trajectory, carrying high residual risk at discharge and dismal short- or long-term prognosis. Recently, vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, has been proposed as a novel drug whose use is already associated with a reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations in patients in guideline-directed medical therapy. In this review, we summarized the pathophysiology of the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate cascade in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the pharmacology of vericiguat as well as the evidence regarding their use in patients with HFrEF. Finally, tips and tricks for its use in standard clinical practice are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Falco
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Benedetta Brescia
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Dario Catapano
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Maria Luigia Martucci
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Fabio Valente
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Rita Gravino
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Carla Contaldi
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Pacileo
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Daniele Masarone
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.F.); (D.C.); (M.L.M.); (F.V.); (R.G.); (C.C.); (G.P.)
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Lam CSP, Piña IL, Zheng Y, Bonderman D, Pouleur AC, Saldarriaga C, Pieske B, Blaustein RO, Nkulikiyinka R, Westerhout CM, Armstrong PW. Age, Sex, and Outcomes in Heart Failure With Reduced EF: Insights From the VICTORIA Trial. JACC Heart Fail 2023; 11:1246-1257. [PMID: 37565973 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age and sex influence treatment and outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). OBJECTIVES The authors examined the associations of age and sex with clinical characteristics, background therapies, outcomes, and response to vericiguat in this post hoc analysis of 5,050 VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction; 1,568 (31%) were ≥75 years of age, of whom 445 (24%) were women. METHODS Clinical characteristics were compared across age (<65, 65 to <75, and ≥75 years) and sex. The treatment effect of vericiguat was estimated by age and sex on the primary composite outcome (time to first HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death) using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS Compared with younger patients, those ≥75 years of age had more class III and IV symptoms, higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and worse kidney function but had the lowest use of triple therapy. No sex differences in triple therapy existed by age, but achieving target doses of triple therapy was less likely in older patients. Men ≥75 years of age were more than twice as likely to receive defibrillators and 65% more likely to undergo cardiac resynchronization than women. The primary composite outcome was nominally lower in women than men across all age groups. Vericiguat dosing did not differ between sexes in each age group, and its beneficial effect on the primary endpoint was not modified by age (continuous age, Pinteraction = 0.169; categorical age, Pinteraction = 0.189); and sex (3-way interaction; P = 0.847). CONCLUSIONS Although elderly women received less intense background HF therapy than men, their prognosis was nominally better. The benefit of vericiguat was independent of age and sex. (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction [HFrEF] [MK-1242-001] [VICTORIA]; NCT02861534).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ileana L Piña
- Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yinggan Zheng
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Anne-Catherine Pouleur
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc and Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Cardiovascular Division, Université Catholique de Louvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Ezekowitz JA, McMullan CJ, Westerhout CM, Piña IL, Lopez-Sendon J, Anstrom KJ, Hernandez AF, Lam CSP, O'Connor CM, Pieske B, Ponikowski P, Roessig L, Voors AA, Koglin J, Armstrong PW, Butler J. Background Medical Therapy and Clinical Outcomes From the VICTORIA Trial. Circ Heart Fail 2023; 16:e010599. [PMID: 37417824 DOI: 10.1161/circheartfailure.123.010599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We examined whether the primary composite outcome (cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization) was related to differences in background use and dosing of guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction enrolled in VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction), a randomized trial of vericiguat versus placebo. METHODS We evaluated the adherence to guideline use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. We assessed basic adherence; indication-corrected adherence accounting for guideline indications and contraindications; and dose-corrected adherence (indication-corrected adherence+≥50% of drug dose target). Associations between study treatment and the primary composite outcome according to the adherence to guidelines were assessed using multivariable adjustment; adjusted hazard ratios with 95% CIs and Pinteraction are reported. RESULTS Of 5050 patients, 5040 (99.8%) had medication data at baseline. For angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin-receptor blockers, and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, basic adherence to guidelines was 87.4%, indication-corrected was 95.7%, and dose-corrected was 50.9%. For beta-blockers, basic adherence was 93.1%, indication-corrected was 96.2%, and dose-corrected was 45.4%. For mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, basic adherence was 70.3%, indication-corrected was 87.1%, and dose-corrected was 82.2%. For triple therapy (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors+beta-blocker+mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist), basic adherence was 59.7%, indication-corrected was 83.3%, and dose-corrected was 25.5%. Using basic or dose-corrected adherence, the treatment effect of vericiguat was consistent across adherence to guidelines groups, with or without multivariable adjustment with no treatment heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Patients in VICTORIA were well treated with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction medications. The efficacy of vericiguat was consistent across background therapy with very high adherence to guidelines accounting for patient-level indications, contraindications, and tolerance. REGISTRATION URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov; Unique identifier: NCT02861534.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada (J.A.E., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | | | - Cynthia M Westerhout
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada (J.A.E., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | - Ileana L Piña
- Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant (I.L.P.)
| | - Jose Lopez-Sendon
- IdiPaz Research Institute, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain (J.L.-S.)
| | - Kevin J Anstrom
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC (K.J.A., A.F.H.)
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC (K.J.A., A.F.H.)
| | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore (C.S.P.L.)
| | | | - Burkert Pieske
- Charité University Medicine German Heart Center, Berlin, Germany (B.P.)
| | - Piotr Ponikowski
- Department of Heart Disease, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland (P.P.)
| | | | - Adriaan A Voors
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands (A.A.V.)
| | | | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada (J.A.E., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | - Javed Butler
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX (J.B.)
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11
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Hsich EM. "We Are the Champions": Victory for VICTORIA Trial. JACC Heart Fail 2023; 11:1258-1261. [PMID: 37565980 PMCID: PMC10881274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen M Hsich
- Heart and Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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12
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Tran BA, Serag-Bolos ES, Fernandez J, Miranda AC. Vericiguat: The First Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulator for Reduction of Cardiovascular Death and Heart Failure Hospitalization in Patients With Heart Failure Reduced Ejection Fraction. J Pharm Pract 2023; 36:905-914. [PMID: 35356844 DOI: 10.1177/08971900221087096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, vericiguat, in patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure with ejection fraction less than 45% for the reduction of cardiovascular deaths. Also, to evaluate heart failure-related hospitalization in patients following a hospital discharge secondary to heart failure or those that require outpatient intravenous diuretics. Data source: MEDLINE/Pubmed and National Institutes of Health Clinical Trial Registry were searched between January 1989 to February 2021 using the following terms: vericiguat, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, heart failure, (was also known as) BAY 1021189. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The following study designs were included in the analysis: phase I, II, and III clinical trials; systematic reviews; and meta-analyses. Articles were included if they were published in English and evaluated vericiguat pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety. Data Synthesis: The Food and Drug Administration approved vericiguat for the reduction of cardiovascular death and hospitalization after having a related hospitalization or the need for outpatient intravenous diuretics, in those with symptomatic chronic heart failure and ejection fraction less than 45%. In the VICTORIA trial, vericiguat demonstrated a 10% reduction in risk of death from cardiovascular causes or first hospitalization for heart failure compared with placebo. Vericiguat was well tolerated overall with hypotension, syncope, and anemia noted as the most common side effects, similar to the other agent in its class. Conclusion: Vericiguat may be appropriate as add-on therapy for patients already on guideline-directed medical therapy with recent decompensated HFrEF to reduce hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Anh Tran
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics & Clinical Research, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Erini S Serag-Bolos
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics & Clinical Research, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Joel Fernandez
- Cardiovascular Sciences Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Aimon C Miranda
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics & Clinical Research, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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13
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Sahana U, Wehland M, Simonsen U, Schulz H, Grimm D. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Vericiguat on Patients with Heart Failure. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11826. [PMID: 37511587 PMCID: PMC10380763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in heart failure (HF) therapy, the risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality, morbidity, and HF hospitalization (HFH) are major challenges in HF treatment. We aimed to review the potential of vericiguat as a treatment option for HF. A systematic literature review was performed using the PubMed database and ClinicalTrials.gov. Four randomized controlled trials were identified, which study the safety and efficacy of vericiguat in HF patients. Vericiguat activates soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) by binding to the beta-subunit, bypassing the requirement for NO-induced activation. The nitric oxide (NO)-sGC-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway plays an essential role in cardiovascular (CV) regulation and the protection of healthy cardiac function but is impaired in HF. Vericiguat reduced the risk of CV death and HFH in HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but showed no therapeutic effect on HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The trials demonstrated a favorable safety profile with most common adverse events such as hypotension, syncope, and anemia. Therefore, vericiguat is recommended for patients with HFrEF and a minimum systolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg. Treatment with vericiguat is considered when the individual patient experiences decompensation despite being on guideline-recommended medication, e.g., angiotensin-converting inhibitor/AT1 receptor antagonist, beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, spironolactone, and sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors. Furthermore, larger studies are required to investigate any potential effect of vericiguat in HFpEF patients. Despite the limitations, vericiguat can be recommended for patients with HFrEF, where standard-of-care is insufficient, and the disease worsens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urjosee Sahana
- Department of Biomedicine, The Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 4, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark (U.S.)
| | - Markus Wehland
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.W.); (H.S.)
| | - Ulf Simonsen
- Department of Biomedicine, The Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 4, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark (U.S.)
| | - Herbert Schulz
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.W.); (H.S.)
| | - Daniela Grimm
- Department of Biomedicine, The Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 4, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark (U.S.)
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (M.W.); (H.S.)
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14
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Bonilla Palomas JL, Morgado García de Polavieja JI, Padilla Pérez M, Rangel-Sousa D, Castro Fernández A, López Aguilera J, Ortiz Cortés C, Torres Calvo F. What do Spanish registries report about worsening events in chronic heart failure? Needs and challenges. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37347231 DOI: 10.1080/14779072.2023.2215985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Worsening heart failure (HF) is associated with a high risk of death and rehospitalization. Despite that, real world evidence about the impact of worsening HF on clinical practice is scarce. AREAS COVERED A narrative review about registries addressing recent worsening HF events in Spain, with special emphasis on patients recently hospitalized for HF was performed. EXPERT OPINION Worsening HF can be defined as situations where the patient's HF deteriorates to the extent that it necessitates initiation or intensification of diuretic treatment (mainly intravenous). The events can occur at the outpatient level, generally in the day hospital, in the emergency department or even hospitalization. Early identification of worsening HF events is essential to establish appropriate treatment as soon as possible. In this context, robust clinical benefits have been reported for renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, sacubitril-valsartan, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and vericiguat. In Spain, several registries of patients with HF have been developed, some of them including patients recently hospitalized for HF, but not with recent worsening HF events. Therefore, registries addressing recent worsening events would be desirable. Using a practical approach, this review analyzes the importance of worsening HF events, with special emphasis on Spanish data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Diego Rangel-Sousa
- Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Unit. Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - José López Aguilera
- Heart Failure Unit. Cardiology Department, Hospital Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
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15
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Butler J, Zheng Y, Khan MS, Bonderman D, Lund LH, deFilippi CR, Blaustein RO, Ezekowitz JA, Freitas C, Hernandez AF, O'Connor CM, Voors AA, Westerhout CM, Lam CSP, Armstrong PW. Ejection Fraction, Biomarkers, and Outcomes and Impact of Vericiguat on Outcomes Across EF in VICTORIA. JACC Heart Fail 2023; 11:583-592. [PMID: 37137660 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vericiguat reduced the risk of cardiovascular death (CVD) or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in patients with worsening HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). OBJECTIVES The authors assessed the association of LVEF with biomarker levels, risk of outcome, and whether the effect of vericiguat was homogeneous across LVEF in the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial. METHODS Patients were grouped by LVEF tertiles (≤24%, 25%-33%, and >33%). Patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and efficacy and safety of vericiguat were examined by tertile. Prespecified biomarkers including N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin T, growth differentiation factor 15, interleukin 6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and cystatin C were examined. RESULTS The mean LVEF was 29% ± 8% (range: 5%-45%). A pattern of higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin 6 was evident in patients in the lowest LVEF tertile vs the other tertiles. Patients with lower LVEF experienced higher rates of the composite outcome (41.7%, 36.3%, and 33.4% for LVEF ≤24, 25-33, and >33; P < 0.001). There was no significant treatment effect heterogeneity of vericiguat across LVEF groups (adjusted HR from lowest to highest tertiles: 0.79 [95% CI: 0.68-0.94]; 0.95 [95% CI: 0.82-1.11]; 0.94 [95% CI: 0.79-1.11]; P for interaction = 0.222), although the HR was numerically lower in the lowest tertile. There was also no heterogeneity of effect for CVD and HF hospitalization individually (P interaction for CVD = 0.964; HF hospitalization = 0.438). Discontinuation of treatment because of adverse events, symptomatic hypotension, or syncope was consistent across the range of LVEF. CONCLUSIONS Patients with lower LVEF had a distinctive biomarker profile and a higher risk for adverse clinical outcomes vs those with a higher LVEF. There was no significant interaction for the benefit of vericiguat across LVEF tertiles, although the largest signal for benefit in both the primary outcome and HF hospitalizations was noted in tertile 1 (LVEF ≤24%). (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction [VICTORIA]; NCT02861534).
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Butler
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Yinggan Zheng
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - Lars H Lund
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Adriaan A Voors
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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16
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Konstam MA. Exploring Ejection Fraction Range in Heart Failure Clinical Trials: Aid or Distraction for Personalized Treatment? JACC Heart Fail 2023; 11:593-595. [PMID: 37137661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marvin A Konstam
- CardioVascular Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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17
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Esteban Fernández A, Recio Mayoral A, González Franco A, Núñez Villota J, Mirabet S, Rubio Gracia J, González Costello J, Bonilla Palomas JL, Escobar Cervantes C. Optimizing the management of patients with worsening heart failure: beyond heart failure hospitalization. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:705-713. [PMID: 36961877 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2195540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Worsening heart failure (HF) is associated with a high risk of death and HF hospitalization. AREAS COVERED A systematic search was conducted on PubMed (MEDLINE), using the MeSH terms [Heart failure] + [Worsening] + [Treatment] + [Vulnerable period] up to February 2023. Original data from clinical trials, and observational studies were critically analyzed. EXPERT OPINION Although the vulnerable period has been traditionally limited to the first 6 months after HF hospitalization, the fact is that there are other clinical scenarios in which the patient is particularly vulnerable. These vulnerable patients may also include those that require parenteral administration of diuretics in the day hospital or emergency department, those in which the increase of oral diuretic dose in an outpatient setting is needed to relief congestive symptoms, as well as those that remain symptomatic despite treatment. On the other hand, HF is a complex disease in which different neurohormonal systems are involved. Therefore, to actually reduce the HF burden, a comprehensive management, targeting all the neurohormonal systems that are involved in the pathogenesis of HF, through the use of those drugs that have demonstrated to positively modify the clinical course of HF, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julio Núñez Villota
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia; Universidad de Valencia, INCLIVA, CIBER Cardiovascular, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sonia Mirabet
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Sant Pau, CIBERCV, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Rubio Gracia
- Internal Medicine Department. Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa. University of Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José González Costello
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Escobar Cervantes C, Esteban Fernández A, Recio Mayoral A, Mirabet S, González Costello J, Rubio Gracia J, Núñez Villota J, González Franco Á, Bonilla Palomas JL. Identifying the patient with heart failure to be treated with vericiguat. Curr Med Res Opin 2023; 39:661-669. [PMID: 36897009 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2023.2189857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a complex process in which a number of neurohormonal systems are involved. Targeting only some of these systems, but not all, translates into a partial benefit of HF treatment. The nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cGMP pathway is impaired in HF, leading to cardiac, vascular and renal disturbances. Vericiguat is a once-daily oral stimulator of sGC that restores this system. No other disease-modifying HF drugs act on this system. Despite guidelines recommendations, a substantial proportion of patients are not taking all recommended drugs or when taking them, they do so at low doses, limiting their potential benefits. In this context, treatment should be optimized considering different parameters, such as blood pressure, heart rate, renal function, or potassium, as they may interfere with their implementation at the recommended doses. The VICTORIA trial showed that adding vericiguat to standard therapy in patients with HFrEF significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization by 10% (NNT 24). Furthermore, vericiguat does not interfere with heart rate, renal function or potassium, making it particularly useful for improving the prognosis of patients with HFrEF in specific settings and clinical profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sonia Mirabet
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José González Costello
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- BIOHEART-Cardiovascular Diseases Research Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
- Ciber Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Rubio Gracia
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínico Univeristario Lozano Blesa, University of Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Julio Núñez Villota
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Universidad de Valencia, INCLIVA, CIBER Cardiovascular, Valencia, Spain
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19
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Vrachatis DA, Papathanasiou KA, Giotaki SG, Raisakis K, Kaoukis A, Kossyvakis C, Theodorakis A, Pediotidis S, Avramides D, Siasos G, Deftereos S. Advances in the Management of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction; The Role of SGLT2is, ARNI, Myotropes, Vericiguat, and Anti-inflammatory Agents: A Mini-review. Curr Pharm Des 2023:CPD-EPUB-130202. [PMID: 36927423 DOI: 10.2174/1381612829666230316142450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has been associated with poor prognosis, reduced quality of life, and increased healthcare expenditure. Despite tremendous advances in HFrEF management, reduced survival and a high rate of hospitalization remain unsolved issues. Furthermore, HFrEF morbidity and economic burden are estimated to increase in the following years; hence, new therapies are constantly emerging. In the last few years, a series of landmark clinical trials have expanded our therapeutic armamentarium with a ground-breaking change in HFrEF-related outcomes. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (mainly dapagliflozin and empagliflozin) have already revolutionized the management of HFrEF patients via a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalizations. Furthermore, vericiguat and omecamtiv mecarbil have emerged as promising and novel disease-modifying therapies. The former restores the impaired cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, and the latter stimulates cardiac myosin without marked arrhythmogenesis. Both vericiguat and omecamtiv mecarbil have been shown to reduce heart failure admissions. Sacubitril/valsartan is an established and effective therapy in HFrEF patients and should be considered as a replacement for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Lastly, inflammasome activity is implicated in HFrEF pathophysiology, and the role of anti-inflammatory agents in HFrEF trajectories is readily scrutinized, yet available therapies are ineffective. This mini-review summarizes the major and most recent studies in this field, thus covering the current advances in HFrEF therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantinos A Papathanasiou
- Second Department of Cardiology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, University General Hospital ATTIKON, Athens, Greece
| | - Sotiria G Giotaki
- Second Department of Cardiology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, University General Hospital ATTIKON, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Andreas Kaoukis
- Deparment of Cardiology, General Hospital of Athens "G.Gennimatas", Athens, Greece
| | | | - Andreas Theodorakis
- Deparment of Cardiology, General Hospital of Athens "G.Gennimatas", Athens, Greece
| | - Stauros Pediotidis
- Deparment of Cardiology, General Hospital of Athens "G.Gennimatas", Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Avramides
- Deparment of Cardiology, General Hospital of Athens "G.Gennimatas", Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Siasos
- Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridon Deftereos
- Department of Cardiology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, University General Hospital ATTIKON, Athens, Greece
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20
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Siddiqi AK, Greene SJ, Fudim M, Mentz RJ, Butler J, Khan MS. Vericiguat for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2023; 21:245-257. [PMID: 36881733 DOI: 10.1080/14779072.2023.2189101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite significant therapeutic advancements in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the residual risk of all-cause mortality and hospitalizations remains high among patients with HFrEF. Vericiguat is a novel oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator which was approved by the US Food and Drug administration (FDA) in January 2021 for use in patients with symptomatic chronic HF and an ejection fraction less than 45% following a hospitalization for HF or the need for outpatient intravenous diuretics. AREAS COVERED We provide a concise review of the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and tolerability of vericiguat in HFrEF. We also discuss the role of vericiguat in current clinical practice. EXPERT OPINION Vericiguat reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality or HF hospitalizations by an absolute event-rate reduction of 4.2 events per 100 patient-years with a number needed to treat of 24 patients, on a background of guideline-directed medical therapy. Almost 90% of the patients with HFrEF were adherent to the 10 mg dose of vericiguat in the VICTORIA trial with a favorable tolerability and safety profile. Considering the high residual risk that persists in HFrEF, vericiguat has a role to improve outcomes among patients with worsening HFrEF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed K Siddiqi
- Department of Medicine, Ziauddin Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Stephen J Greene
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA.,Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Marat Fudim
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA.,Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Robert J Mentz
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA.,Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Javed Butler
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, USA; Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Dallas, Tx, USA
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Kittleson
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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22
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Khan MS, Xu H, Fonarow GC, Lautsch D, Hilkert R, Allen LA, DeVore AD, Alhanti B, Yancy CW, Albert NM, Butler J, Greene SJ. Applicability of Vericiguat to Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in the United States. JACC Heart Fail 2023; 11:211-223. [PMID: 36754528 PMCID: PMC11045268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In January 2021, vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization among patients with a recent worsening HF event based on the VICTORIA (VerICiguaT Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial. OBJECTIVES This study sought to leverage a contemporary U.S. registry of patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) to characterize patients who may be candidates for vericiguat based on FDA label and the VICTORIA trial eligibility criteria. METHODS The authors studied patients hospitalized for HF with ejection fraction (EF) <45% across 525 sites in the GWTG-HF (Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure) registry between January 2014 and December 2020. Approximate FDA label criteria (excluding estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <15 mL/min/1.73 m2, dialysis, or patients with heart transplantation or durable mechanical circulatory support) and eligibility criteria for the VICTORIA trial were applied to the GWTG-HF cohort. RESULTS Among 241,057 patients with EF <45% in the GWTG-HF registry, 221,730 (92%) could be candidates for vericiguat under the FDA label and 92,249 (38%) would have been eligible for the VICTORIA trial. The most frequent reasons for ineligibility for the FDA label were eGFR <15 mL/min/1.73 m2 (5.7%) and dialysis (1.6%). Although there were greater proportions of women and Black patients in the GWTG-HF registry, most clinical characteristics were qualitatively similar with patients enrolled in the VICTORIA trial. Among Medicare beneficiaries in the GWTG-HF registry eligible for vericiguat by either FDA label or VICTORIA trial criteria, 12-month postdischarge rates of mortality (36%-37%), HF hospitalization (33%-35%), all-cause hospitalization (64%-66%), and mean health care expenditure (U.S. $25,106-$25,428) were high. CONCLUSIONS Data from a large, contemporary U.S. registry of patients actively hospitalized for HF with EF <45% suggest that approximately 4 in 10 patients meet the criteria of the VICTORIA trial and that more than 9 in 10 patients are potential candidates for vericiguat based on the FDA label. Contemporary Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for HF with EF <45% and eligible for vericiguat face high rates of postdischarge mortality and readmission and accrue substantial health care costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahzeb Khan
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Haolin Xu
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gregg C Fonarow
- Division of Cardiology, Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | | | - Larry A Allen
- Division of Cardiology and Colorado Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Consortium, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Adam D DeVore
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brooke Alhanti
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Clyde W Yancy
- Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nancy M Albert
- Nursing Institute and Kaufman Center for Heart Failure, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Javed Butler
- Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Stephen J Greene
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
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Hu BA, Li YL, Han HT, Lu B, Jia X, Han L, Ma WX, Zhu P, Wang ZH, Zhang W, Zhong M, Zhang L. Stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase by vericiguat reduces skeletal muscle atrophy of mice following chemotherapy. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1112123. [PMID: 36744261 PMCID: PMC9894251 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1112123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (DOX) promotes severe skeletal muscle atrophy, which induces skeletal muscle weakness and fatigue. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) contributes to a variety of pathophysiological processes, but whether it is involved in DOX-induced skeletal muscle atrophy is unclear. The present study aimed to stimulate sGC by vericiguat, a new oral sGC stimulator, to test its role in this process. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, vericiguat group, DOX group, and DOX + vericiguat group. Exercise capacity was evaluated before the mice were sacrificed. Skeletal muscle atrophy was assessed by histopathological and molecular biological methods. Protein synthesis and degradation were monitored in mice and C2C12 cells. Results: In this study, a significant decrease in exercise capacity and cross-sectional area (CSA) of skeletal muscle fibers was found in mice following DOX treatment. Furthermore, DOX decreased sGC activity in mice and C2C12 cells, and a positive correlation was found between sGC activity and CSA of skeletal muscle fibers in skeletal muscle. DOX treatment also impaired protein synthesis, shown by puromycin detection, and activated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Following sGC stimulation, the CSA of muscle fibers was elevated, and exercise capacity was enhanced. Stimulation of sGC also increased protein synthesis and decreased ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In terms of the underlying mechanisms, AKT/mTOR and FoxO1 pathways were impaired following DOX treatment, and stimulation of sGC restored the blunted pathways. Conclusion: These results unravel sGC stimulation can improve skeletal muscle atrophy and increase the exercise capacity of mice in response to DOX treatment by enhancing protein synthesis and inhibiting protein degradation. Stimulation of sGC may be a potential treatment of DOX-induced skeletal muscle dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-ang Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yu-lin Li
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hai-tao Han
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Bin Lu
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xu Jia
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Lu Han
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China,Department of General Practice, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wei-xuan Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ping Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhi-hao Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China,Department of Geriatric Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Proteomics, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ming Zhong
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Ming Zhong, ; Lei Zhang,
| | - Lei Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Ming Zhong, ; Lei Zhang,
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24
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Grześk G, Witczyńska A, Węglarz M, Wołowiec Ł, Nowaczyk J, Grześk E, Nowaczyk A. Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase Activators-Promising Therapeutic Option in the Pharmacotherapy of Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28020861. [PMID: 36677920 PMCID: PMC9862932 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vascular relaxation plays a leading role in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and vascular systems and organs, such as the kidneys, brain, and liver. The mechanism of the intracellular action of NO in blood vessels involves the stimulation of the activity of the soluble cytosolic form of guanylyl cyclase (soluble guanylyl cyclase, sGC), increasing the level of cyclic 3'-5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in smooth muscle and subsequent vasodilation. In recent years, a new group of drugs, soluble guanylyl cyclase stimulators, has found its way into clinical practice. Based on the CHEST-1 and PATENT-1 trials, riociguat was introduced into clinical practice for treating chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). In January 2021, the FDA approved the use of another drug, vericiguat, for the treatment of heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Grześk
- Department of Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Colle-gium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 75 Ujejskiego St., 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Adrianna Witczyńska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Byd-goszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 2 dr. A. Jurasza St., 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Magdalena Węglarz
- Department of Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Colle-gium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 75 Ujejskiego St., 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Łukasz Wołowiec
- Department of Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Colle-gium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 75 Ujejskiego St., 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Jacek Nowaczyk
- Physical Chemistry and Chemistry of Polymers, Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 7 Gagarina St., 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Grześk
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 9 Skłodowskiej-Curie St., 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Alicja Nowaczyk
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Byd-goszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 2 dr. A. Jurasza St., 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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25
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Defilippi CR, Alemayehu WG, Voors AA, Kaye D, Blaustein RO, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Hernandez AF, Lam CSP, Roessig L, Seliger S, Shah P, Westerhout CM, Armstrong PW, O'Connor CM. Assessment of Biomarkers of Myocardial injury, Inflammation, and Renal Function in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: The VICTORIA Biomarker Substudy. J Card Fail 2023; 29:448-458. [PMID: 36634811 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating biomarkers may be useful in understanding prognosis and treatment efficacy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. In the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial, vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, decreased the primary outcome of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. We evaluated biomarkers of cardiac injury, inflammation, and renal function for associations with outcomes and vericiguat treatment effect. METHODS AND RESULTS High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and cystatin C were measured at baseline and 16 weeks. Associations of biomarkers with the primary outcome and its components were estimated. Interaction with study treatment was tested. Changes in biomarkers over time were examined by study treatment. One or more biomarkers were measured in 4652 (92%) of 5050 participants at baseline and 4063 (81%) at 16 weeks. After adjustment, higher values of hs-cTnT, growth differentiation factor-15, and interleukin-6 were associated with the primary outcome, independent of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. Higher hs-cTnT values were associated with a hazard ratio per log standard deviation of 1.21 (95% confidence interval 1.14-1.27). A treatment interaction with vericiguat was evident with hs-cTnT and cardiovascular death (P = .04), but not HF hospitalization (P = .38). All biomarkers except cystatin C decreased over 16 weeks and no relationship between treatment assignment and changes in biomarker levels was observed. CONCLUSIONS hs-cTnT, growth differentiation factor-15, and interleukin-6 levels were associated with risk of the primary outcome in VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction). Uniquely, lower hs-cTnT was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death but not HF hospitalization after treatment with vericiguat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adriaan A Voors
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - David Kaye
- Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Javed Butler
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Stephen Seliger
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Palak Shah
- Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, Falls Church, Virginia
| | | | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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26
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Kaplinsky E, Perrone S, Barbagelata A. Emerging concepts in heart failure management and treatment: focus on vericiguat. Drugs Context 2023; 12:dic-2022-5-5. [PMID: 36660012 PMCID: PMC9828868 DOI: 10.7573/dic.2022-5-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The nitric oxide (NO)-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway is dysregulated in patients with heart failure (HF) resulting in myocardial and vascular dysfunction that contributes to its progression. Vericiguat is a novel direct sGC stimulator that targets in at least two ways the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway with the subsequent restoration of cGMP activity. The VICTORIA trial assessed the effects of vericiguat (versus placebo) in 5050 patients with chronic HF (NYHA class II-IV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <45%, elevated natriuretic peptide levels and a recent HF decompensation (hospitalized or outpatient intravenous diuretics). After a median follow-up of 10.8 months, a lower risk (10% reduction) of the primary combined outcome (cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization) was achieved (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.98; p=0.02). The composite endpoint was driven by HF hospitalizations (HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.81-1.00; p=0.048) whilst CV death reduction was not statistically significant on its own. The target dose was achieved in 89% of patients treated with vericiguat, and no significant differences were observed in the rates of syncope or hypotension. The VICTORIA trial showed that vericiguat was safe, well tolerated and without need of laboratory testing. The aim of this review is to provide comprehensive information about vericiguat in terms of its differential mechanism of action and clinical data particularly focused on the VICTORIA trial. A comparison is also made with DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced considering that, in all these contemporary trials, a new study medication was added to the standard triple HF therapy. This is a relevant issue because the VICTORIA trial had a significant but less powerful effect than DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced on HF outcomes in a setting of more severe disease, higher event rate and shorter follow-up. In addition, relevant data on other previous studies are also provided in both HF with reduced LVEF (SOCRATES-Reduced) and HF with preserved LVEF (SOCRATES-Preserved and VITALITY-Preserved). This article is part of the Emerging concepts in heart failure management and treatment Special Issue: https://www.drugsincontext.com/special_issues/emerging-concepts-in-heart-failure-management-and-treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo Kaplinsky
- Cardiology Unit, Medicine Department, Hospital Municipal de Badalona, Spain
| | - Sergio Perrone
- Catholic University Argentina/Fleni Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Barbagelata
- Catholic University Argentina/Fleni Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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27
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González-Juanatey JR, Comín-Colet J, Pascual Figal D, Bayes-Genis A, Cepeda JM, García-Pinilla JM, García-Quintana A, Manzano L, Zamorano JL. Optimization of Patient Pathway in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction and Worsening Heart Failure. Role of Vericiguat. Patient Prefer Adherence 2023; 17:839-849. [PMID: 36999163 PMCID: PMC10044168 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s400403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a progressive condition with periods of apparent stability and repeated worsening HF events. Over time, unless optimization of HF treatment, worsening HF events become more frequent and patients enter into a cycle of recurrent events with high morbidity and mortality. In patients with HF there is an activation of deleterious neurohormonal pathways, such as the renin angiotensin aldosterone system and the sympathetic system, and an inhibition of protective pathways, including natriuretic peptides and guanylate cyclase. Therefore, HF burden can be reduced only through a holistic approach that targets all neurohormonal systems. In this context, vericiguat may play a key role, as it is the only HF drug that activates the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate system. On the other hand, it has been described relevant disparities in the management of HF population. Consequently, it is necessary to homogenize the management of these patients, through an integrated patient-care pathway that should be adapted at the local level. In this context, the development of new technologies (ie, video call, specific platforms, remote control devices, etc.) may be very helpful. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary group of experts analyzed the current evidence and shared their own experience to provide some recommendations about the therapeutic optimization of patients with recent worsening HF, with a particular focus on vericiguat, and also about how the integrated patient-care pathway should be performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ramón González-Juanatey
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Centro de investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Correspondence: José Ramón González-Juanatey, Email
| | - Josep Comín-Colet
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Domingo Pascual Figal
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Antoni Bayes-Genis
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Jose Maria Cepeda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vega Baja, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain
| | - José M García-Pinilla
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, IBIMA, Málaga, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Dermatology, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonio García-Quintana
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Luis Manzano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Zamorano
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
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28
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Lou Q, Li L, Liu G, Li T, Zhang L, Zang Y, Zhan C, Wang H, Li W. Vericiguat reduces electrical and structural remodeling in a rabbit model of atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2023; 28:10742484231185252. [PMID: 37403470 DOI: 10.1177/10742484231185252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: The molecular etiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its treatment are poorly understood. AF involves both electrical and structural features. Vericiguat can ameliorate cardiac remodeling in heart failure. The effects of vericiguat on AF, however, are unclear. Here, the actions of vericiguat on atrial structural and electrical remodeling in AF and its possible mechanisms were investigated. Methods and Results: Thirty-six rabbits were randomly allocated to four groups, namely, sham, RAP (pacing with 600 beats/min over three weeks), vericiguat-treated (three weeks' pacing plus daily oral dose of 1.5 mg/kg of vericiguat), and vericiguat-treated only. HL-1 cells received rapid pacing with or without vericiguat. Parameters including electrophysiology, echocardiography, histology, Ca2+ levels, and ICaL density, as well as levels of TRPC6, CaN, NFAT4, p-NFAT4, Cav1.2, collagen I, collagen III, and ST2 were measured. Significant changes of above proteins expression level, circulating biochemical indices, Ca2+ concentrations, and ICaL density in both animals and cell models, these effects were significantly restored by vericiguat. Vericiguat also reversed the enlarged atrium and significantly reduced myocardial fibrosis, together with preventing reduced atrial effective refractory periods (AERPs) and AF induction rate. Conclusion: Vericiguat thus ameliorated AF-associated structural and electrical remodeling. These findings suggest the potential of vericiguat for treating AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lou
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Luyifei Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guangzhong Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tiankai Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanxiang Zang
- Department of Cardiology, 4th Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chengchuang Zhan
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Weimin Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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29
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Vannuccini F, Campora A, Barilli M, Palazzuoli A. Vericiguat in Heart Failure: Characteristics, Scientific Evidence and Potential Clinical Applications. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2471. [PMID: 36289733 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in heart failure (HF) management, the risk of death and hospitalizations remains high in the long term. HF is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and increased oxidative stress, due to a reduction in the activity of the nitric oxide (NO)-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway. All these factors contribute to direct damage at the myocardial, vascular and renal level. Vericiguat restores the deficiency in this signaling pathway, through stimulation and activation of sGC, aiming to increase cGMP levels, with a reduction in HF-related oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Two main clinical trials were developed in this setting: the SOCRATES-REDUCED phase II study and the VICTORIA phase III study. They found that vericiguat is safe, well tolerated and effective with an absolute event-rate reduction in patients affected by HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and recent cardiac decompensation. In patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HfpEF), the SOCRATES-PRESERVED trial demonstrated an improvement in quality of life and health status, but the proven beneficial effects with vericiguat are still limited. Further studies are needed to correctly define the role of this drug in heart failure syndromes. Our paper reviews the potential applications and pharmacological characteristics of vericiguat in HFrEF and HFpEF.
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30
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Armstrong PW, Zheng Y, Troughton RW, Lund LH, Zhang J, Lam CSP, Westerhout CM, Blaustein RO, Butler J, Hernandez AF, Roessig L, O'Connor CM, Voors AA, Ezekowitz JA. Sequential Evaluation of NT-proBNP in Heart Failure: Insights Into Clinical Outcomes and Efficacy of Vericiguat. JACC Heart Fail 2022; 10:677-688. [PMID: 36049817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of vericiguat on sequential N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and influence of this relationship on clinical outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES This study assessed the relationship between changes in NT-proBNP and the primary outcome (cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization); evaluated the effect of vericiguat on changes in NT-proBNP; and explored the association between the efficacy of vericiguat and changes in NT-proBNP. METHODS NT-proBNP was measured at randomization and at 16, 32, 48, and 96 weeks in 4,805 of 5,050 patients. The association between NT-proBNP change at week 16 and the primary outcome was assessed. The relationship between changes in NT-proBNP and the primary outcome according to treatment group was assessed by using joint modeling and mediation analysis. RESULTS A significant and sustained decline in NT-proBNP levels was seen in both treatment groups. After week 16, NT-proBNP levels decreased more with vericiguat vs placebo (any reduction: odds ratio [OR]: 1.45 [95% CI: 1.28-1.65]; P < 0.001; ≥50% reduction: OR: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.10-1.47]; P = 0.001) and were less likely to increase (≥20% increase: OR: 0.68 [95% CI: 0.59-0.78]; P < 0.001; ≥50% increase: OR: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.59-0.82]; P < 0.001). The treatment effect related to serial NT-proBNP on the primary composite outcome was HR: 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99) at week 16, which increased to HR: 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85-0.96) at week 48; the average extent of mediation of the composite outcome related to NT-proBNP was 45%. CONCLUSIONS In patients with worsening HFrEF, vericiguat significantly decreased NT-proBNP levels compared with placebo. This change appeared associated with a modest relative improvement in the primary outcome of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization. (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction [VICTORIA]; NCT02861534).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Yinggan Zheng
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Lars H Lund
- Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Javed Butler
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Adrian A Voors
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Escobar C, Luis-Bonilla J, Crespo-Leiro MG, Esteban-Fernández A, Farré N, Garcia A, Nuñez J. Individualizing the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a journey from hospitalization to long-term outpatient care. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:1589-1599. [PMID: 35995759 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2116275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Despite the relevant advances achieved thanks to the traditional step-by-step therapeutic approach, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) remains associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of HFrEF is complex, with the implication of various neurohormonal systems, including activation of deleterious pathways (i.e. renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, sympathetic, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 [SGLT2] systems) and the inhibition of protective pathways (i.e. natriuretic peptides and the guanylate cyclase system). Therefore, the burden of HF can only be reduced through a comprehensive approach that involves all evidence-based use of available HF drugs targeting the neurohormonal systems involved. AREAS COVERED : We performed a critical analysis of evidence from recent clinical trials and assessed the effects of HF therapies on hemodynamics and renal function. EXPERT OPINION : HF therapy must be adapted to the clinical profile (i.e. congestion, blood pressure, heart rate, renal function, and electrolytes). Consequently, blood pressure is reduced by beta blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, sacubitril/valsartan, and, minimally, by SGLT2 inhibitors and vericiguat; heart rate decreases with beta blockers and ivabradine; and renal function is impaired and potassium are levels increased with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and sacubitril/valsartan. Practical recommendations on how to individualize HF therapy according to patient profile are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Escobar
- Cardiology Service, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Ana Garcia
- Hospital Clinic I Provincial De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julio Nuñez
- Hospital Clinico de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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Sepehrvand N, Islam S, Dover DC, Kaul P, McAlister FA, Armstrong PW, Ezekowitz JA. Epidemiology of worsening heart failure in a population-based cohort from Alberta, Canada: Evaluating eligibility for treatment with vericiguat. J Card Fail 2022; 28:1298-1308. [PMID: 35589087 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with heart failure (HF) and a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who experience worsening heart failure (WHF) events are at increased risk of adverse outcomes and experience significant morbidity and mortality. We herein describe the epidemiology of these patients and identify those potentially eligible for vericiguat therapy in this population-based study. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included hospitalized or emergency department (ED) patients with a primary diagnosis of HF and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <45% diagnosed between April 1st, 2009 and March 31st, 2019 in Alberta, Canada, with follow-up to March 31st 2020. Inclusion criteria from the VICTORIA trial were applied to explore eligibility for vericiguat. RESULTS Among 25,629 patients with HF and LVEF data, 9,948 (38.8%) had HFrEF, of which 5,259 (52.8%) experienced WHF at some point during a median 5.8 years of follow-up, and 38.3% of those met the vericiguat trial eligibility criteria. Compared to HFrEF patients without WHF, those with WHF were older, with more comorbidities, worse renal function, similar LVEF status, but more use of HF medications, at baseline. At the time of WHF, 27% of those with HFrEF and WHF were on triple therapy, 50.6% were on dual therapy, and 15.4% were on monotherapy. All-cause mortality and the composite outcome of all-cause mortality or cardiovascular hospitalization at 1-year of follow-up were higher in the HFrEF with WHF cohort compared to HFrEF without WHF (adjusted hazard ratios of 1.92 and 1.51, respectively, both p<.0001). CONCLUSION Approximately, one-half of patients with HFrEF experienced WHF over long-term follow-up. Most were not on triple therapy, highlighting the underutilization of the existing standard-of-care treatments and opportunities for application of newer therapies; more than one-third of patients with HFrEF may be eligible for vericiguat. LAY SUMMARY Among patients with heart failure (HF), those who experience worsening HF are at increased risk of adverse outcomes. A few new therapies, including vericiguat, have emerged recently for patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction. However, the epidemiology, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with worsening HF in large representative populations is unclear. In current study, roughly, half of the patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction experienced worsening HF and 38.3% were potentially eligible for vericiguat therapy. The guideline-recommended therapies were under-utilized among patients with worsening HF, which highlights the need for initiatives to address this care gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nariman Sepehrvand
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sunjidatul Islam
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Douglas C Dover
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Padma Kaul
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Finlay A McAlister
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Support Unit, Canada
| | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Hellenkamp K, Nolte K, von Haehling S. Pharmacological treatment options for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A 2022 update. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:673-680. [PMID: 35260016 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2047647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite considerable advances in the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) over the last 60 years, mortality and morbidity remains high. Fortunately, in the last years, further developments expanded the toolbox for HF treatment. AREAS COVERED The authors provide an overview of recent developments in HF treatment and bring the recommendations in the HF guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology into perspective. EXPERT OPINION Nowadays, basic pharmacological treatment of patients with HFrEF consists of a combination of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and the SGLT2 inhibitors dapagliflozin or empagliflozin. Treatment initiation of all four drug classes should be fast and simultaneous. In some cases, the ARNI sacubitril/valsartan may be initiated even in ACE inhibitor-naïve patients. Further HF treatment has to be individualized. Another important point is that both SGLT2 inhibitors and vericiguat can be used in patients with severely reduced kidney function. Finally, an important piece in the HF management puzzle is the treatment of its comorbidities. For instance, patients hospitalized for acute HF decompensation should be systematically screened for iron deficiency, since HF patients with proven iron deficiency benefit from intravenous ferric carboxymaltose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Hellenkamp
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kathleen Nolte
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephan von Haehling
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Saldarriaga C, Atar D, Stebbins A, Lewis BS, Zainal Abidin I, Blaustein RO, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Hernandez AF, Lam CSP, O'Connor CM, Pieske B, Ponikowski P, Roessig L, Voors AA, Anstrom KJ, Armstrong PW. Vericiguat in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction. Eur J Heart Fail 2022; 24:782-790. [PMID: 35239245 DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.2468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Coronary artery disease (CAD) portends worse outcomes in heart failure (HF). We aimed to characterize patients with CAD and worsening HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and evaluate post hoc whether vericiguat's treatment effect varied according to CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS Cox proportional hazards were generated for the primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization (CVD/HFH). CAD was defined as previous myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, or coronary artery bypass grafting. Of 5048 patients in VICTORIA with available data on CAD status, 2704 had CAD and were older, were more frequently male, diabetic, and had a lower glomerular filtration rate than those without CAD (all p <0.0001). Use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was higher in patients with versus without CAD (33.5 vs. 21.1%; p <0.0001 and 16.3 vs. 12.8%; p = 0.0006). The primary endpoint of CVD/HFH was higher in those with versus without CAD (40.6 vs. 30.1/100 patient-years; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.23; p <0.001) as was all-cause mortality (17.9% vs. 12.7%; adjusted HR 1.32; p <0.001). The primary outcome of CVD/HFH associated with vericiguat in patients with or without CAD was 38.8 vs. 27.6 per 100 patient-years and for placebo was 42.6 vs. 32.7 per 100 patient-years (interaction p = 0.78). CONCLUSION In this post hoc study, CAD was associated with more CVD and HFH in patients with HFrEF and worsening HF. Vericiguat was beneficial and safe regardless of concomitant CAD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Saldarriaga
- University of Antioquia, CardioVID clinic Department of Cardiology, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Dan Atar
- Oslo University Hospital Ulleval, Department of Cardiology, and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amanda Stebbins
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | | | | | | | - Javed Butler
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, United States
| | | | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore & Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Burkert Pieske
- Charité University Medicine, German Heart Center, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Kevin J Anstrom
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
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Pagnesi M, Baldetti L, Aimo A, Inciardi RM, Tomasoni D, Vizzardi E, Vergaro G, Emdin M, Lombardi CM. Prognostic Benefit of New Drugs for HFrEF: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2022; 11:348. [PMID: 35054042 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11020348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The new heart failure (HF) therapies of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil do not act primarily through the neuro-hormonal blockade, but have shown clinical benefits in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, their respective efficacies remain unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the relative efficacy of new drugs for HFrEF. Methods: We performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing SGLT2i, vericiguat, omecamtiv mecarbil, and placebo in HFrEF patients. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death (CVD) or HF hospitalization (CVD-HF); secondary endpoints were CVD, all-cause death, and HF hospitalization (HFH). Results: Twelve RCTs (n = 23,861 patients) were included. A significant reduction in CVD-HF was observed with SGLT2i compared with placebo (risk ratio (RR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.83), vericiguat (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75–0.93), and omecamtiv mecarbil (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72–0.88). No significant difference was observed between vericiguat and omecamtiv mecarbil (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.87–1.04). SGLT2i were superior to placebo and omecamtiv mecarbil for all individual secondary endpoints (CVD, all-cause death, and HFH), and also to vericiguat for HFH. SGLT2i ranked as the most effective therapy for all endpoints, and vericiguat, omecamtiv mecarbil, and placebo ranked as the second, third, and last options, respectively, for the primary endpoint. Conclusions: In patients with HFrEF on standard-of-care therapy, SGLT2i therapy was associated with a reduced risk of CVD-HF compared to placebo, vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil. Furthermore, SGLT2i were superior to placebo and omecamtiv mecarbil for CVD, all-cause death, and HFH, and also to vericiguat for HFH.
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Lam CSP, Mulder H, Lopatin Y, Vazquez-Tanus JB, Siu D, Ezekowitz J, Pieske B, O'Connor CM, Roessig L, Patel MJ, Anstrom KJ, Hernandez AF, Armstrong PW. Blood Pressure and Safety Events With Vericiguat in the VICTORIA Trial. J Am Heart Assoc 2021; 10:e021094. [PMID: 34743540 PMCID: PMC8751950 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.021094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Although safety and tolerability of vericiguat were established in the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study in Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, some subgroups may be more susceptible to symptomatic hypotension, such as older patients, those with lower baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP), or those concurrently taking angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors. We described the SBP trajectories over time and compared the occurrence of symptomatic hypotension or syncope by treatment arm in potentially vulnerable subgroups in VICTORIA. We also evaluated the relation between the efficacy of vericiguat and baseline SBP. Methods and Results Among patients receiving at least 1 dose of the study drug (n=5034), potentially vulnerable subgroups were those >75 years old (n=1395), those with baseline SBP 100–110 mm Hg (n=1344), and those taking angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (n=730). SBP trajectory was plotted as mean change from baseline over time. The treatment effect on time to symptomatic hypotension or syncope was evaluated overall and by subgroup, and the primary efficacy composite outcome (heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death) across baseline SBP was examined using Cox proportional hazards models. SBP trajectories showed a small initial decline in SBP with vericiguat in those >75 years old (versus younger patients), as well as those receiving angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (versus none), with SBP returning to baseline thereafter. Patients with SBP <110 mm Hg at baseline showed a trend to increasing SBP over time, which was similar in both treatment arms. Safety event rates were generally low and similar between treatment arms within each subgroup. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, there were similar numbers of safety events with vericiguat versus placebo (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.18; 95% CI, 0.99–1.39; P=0.059). No difference existed between treatment arms in landmark analysis beginning after the titration phase (ie, post 4 weeks) (adjusted HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.93–1.38; P=0.20). The benefit of vericiguat compared with placebo on the primary composite efficacy outcome was similar across the spectrum of baseline SBP (P for interaction=0.32). Conclusions These data demonstrate the safety of vericiguat in a broad population of patients with worsening heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, even among those predisposed to hypotension. Vericiguat’s efficacy persisted regardless of baseline SBP. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02861534.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore & Duke-National University of Singapore Singapore
| | - Hillary Mulder
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University School of Medicine Durham NC
| | - Yuri Lopatin
- Volgograd State Medical UniversityRegional Cardiology Centre Volgograd Volgograd Russian Federation
| | - Jose B Vazquez-Tanus
- Ponce School of Medicine Ponce Puerto Rico.,Research & Cardiovascular Center and Cardiometabolic Research Center Ponce Puerto Rico
| | - David Siu
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | | | - Burkert Pieske
- Charité University MedicineGerman Heart Center Berlin Germany
| | | | | | | | - Kevin J Anstrom
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University School of Medicine Durham NC
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University School of Medicine Durham NC
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Ezekowitz JA, Zheng Y, Cohen-Solal A, Melenovský V, Escobedo J, Butler J, Hernandez AF, Lam CSP, O'Connor CM, Pieske B, Ponikowski P, Voors AA, deFilippi C, Westerhout CM, McMullan C, Roessig L, Armstrong PW. Hemoglobin and Clinical Outcomes in the Vericiguat Global Study in Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction (VICTORIA). Circulation 2021; 144:1489-1499. [PMID: 34432985 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.056797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the VICTORIA trial (Vericiguat Global Study in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction), anemia occurred more often in patients treated with vericiguat (7.6%) than with placebo (5.7%). We explored the association between vericiguat, randomization hemoglobin, development of anemia, and whether the benefit of vericiguat related to baseline hemoglobin. METHODS Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <13.0 g/dL in men and <12.0 g/dL in women (World Health Organization Anemia). Adverse events reported as anemia were also evaluated. We assessed the risk-adjusted relationship between hemoglobin and hematocrit with the primary outcome (composite of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization) and the time-updated hemoglobin relationship to outcomes. RESULTS At baseline, 1719 (35.7%) patients had World Health Organization anemia; median hemoglobin was 13.4 g/L (25th, 75th percentile: 12.1, 14.7 g/dL). At 16 weeks from randomization, 1643 patients had World Health Organization anemia (284 new for vericiguat and 219 for placebo), which occurred more often with vericiguat than placebo (P<0.001). After 16 weeks, no further decline in hemoglobin occurred over 96 weeks of follow-up and the ratio of hemoglobin/hematocrit remained constant. Overall, adverse event anemia occurred in 342 patients (7.1%). A lower hemoglobin was unrelated to the treatment benefit of vericiguat (versus placebo) on the primary outcome. In addition, analysis of time-updated hemoglobin revealed no association with the treatment effect of vericiguat (versus placebo) on the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS Anemia was common at randomization and lower hemoglobin was associated with a greater frequency of clinical events. Although vericiguat modestly lowered hemoglobin by 16 weeks, this effect did not further progress nor was it related to the treatment benefit of vericiguat. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov: Unique identifier: NCT02861534.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Ezekowitz
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (J.A.E., Y.Z., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | - Yinggan Zheng
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (J.A.E., Y.Z., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | | | - Vojtěch Melenovský
- Department of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic (V.M.)
| | - Jorge Escobedo
- Medical Research Unit on Clinical Epidemiology, Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico City (J.E.)
| | - Javed Butler
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson (J.B.)
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC (A.F.H., C.M.O.)
| | - Carolyn S P Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore and Duke-National University of Singapore (C.S.P.L.)
| | - Christopher M O'Connor
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC (A.F.H., C.M.O.).,Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, Falls Church, VA (C.M.O., C.D.)
| | - Burkert Pieske
- Charité University Medicine, German Heart Center, Berlin (B.P.)
| | - Piotr Ponikowski
- Department of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland (P.P.)
| | - Adriaan A Voors
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center of Groningen, The Netherlands (A.A.V.)
| | | | - Cynthia M Westerhout
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (J.A.E., Y.Z., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
| | | | | | - Paul W Armstrong
- Canadian VIGOUR Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (J.A.E., Y.Z., C.M.W., P.W.A.)
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Kansakar S, Guragain A, Verma D, Sharma P, Dhungana B, Bhattarai B, Yadav S, Gautam N. Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulators in Heart Failure. Cureus 2021; 13:e17781. [PMID: 34659992 PMCID: PMC8494752 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure has a high global burden of morbidity and mortality. Despite significant advances in medical management of heart failure, the prognosis remains poor. This justifies the search for newer therapeutic agents. Recently, soluble guanylate stimulators have demonstrated favorable results in clinical trials. This article aims to summarize the guanylate cyclase signaling pathway, the role of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators in heart failure, and data from recent clinical trials of these drugs. We concluded that soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators have significant benefits in reducing hospitalizations in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction that are at high risk of cardiovascular events. There appears to be no benefit of these drugs in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajog Kansakar
- Internal Medicine, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, NPL
| | - Ashish Guragain
- Internal Medicine, Manipal College Of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, NPL
| | - Deepak Verma
- Internal Medicine/Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Prabhat Sharma
- Internal Medicine, Shankarapur Hospital, Kathmandu, NPL.,Internal Medicine, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, NPL
| | | | | | - Sunil Yadav
- Internal Medicine, Topa Primary Health Centre, Rajbiraj, NPL
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Sandner P, Follmann M, Becker-Pelster E, Hahn MG, Meier C, Freitas C, Roessig L, Stasch JP. Soluble GC stimulators and activators: Past, present and future. Br J Pharmacol 2021. [PMID: 34600441 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of soluble GC (sGC) stimulators and sGC activators provided valuable tools to elucidate NO-sGC signalling and opened novel pharmacological opportunities for cardiovascular indications and beyond. The first-in-class sGC stimulator riociguat was approved for pulmonary hypertension in 2013 and vericiguat very recently for heart failure. sGC stimulators enhance sGC activity independent of NO and also act synergistically with endogenous NO. The sGC activators specifically bind to, and activate, the oxidised haem-free form of sGC. Substantial research efforts improved on the first-generation sGC activators such as cinaciguat, culminating in the discovery of runcaciguat, currently in clinical Phase II trials for chronic kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy. Here, we highlight the discovery and development of sGC stimulators and sGC activators, their unique modes of action, their preclinical characteristics and the clinical studies. In the future, we expect to see more sGC agonists in new indications, reflecting their unique therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sandner
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Markus Follmann
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Michael G Hahn
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Christian Meier
- Pharmaceuticals Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cecilia Freitas
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Lothar Roessig
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Johannes-Peter Stasch
- Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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40
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Campbell N, Kalabalik-Hoganson J, Frey K. Vericiguat: A Novel Oral Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulator for the Treatment of Heart Failure. Ann Pharmacother 2021; 56:600-608. [PMID: 34431706 DOI: 10.1177/10600280211041384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the efficacy and safety of vericiguat indicated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization following hospitalization or need for outpatient intravenous diuretics in adult patients with chronic symptomatic HF and ejection fraction (EF) less than 45%. DATA SOURCES A literature search through MEDLINE with search terms MK1242, BAY 1021189, and vericiguat was conducted. Product labeling and English-language studies assessing pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, or safety of vericiguat were included. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION Preclinical and clinical studies describing the efficacy and safety of vericiguat were included. DATA SYNTHESIS The phase 3 VICTORIA clinical trial demonstrated a lower composite primary outcome of death from cardiovascular causes or first hospitalization in the vericiguat group compared to placebo. Total hospitalizations for HF in the vericiguat group were significantly less compared to placebo. The composite secondary outcome of death from any cause or first HF hospitalization was significantly less in the vericiguat group. RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE The addition of vericiguat offers a new treatment option for those in whom rehospitalization or recurrent outpatient intravenous diuretic treatment is a concern. Given high rates of nonadherence in HF patients, vericiguat represents an additional treatment option, especially for patients who do not tolerate available HF therapies. CONCLUSION Vericiguat is a novel soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator that is safe and effective for reducing the risk of cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization in adults with symptomatic chronic HF and reduced EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Campbell
- Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham Park, NJ, USA.,Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ, USA
| | | | - Kathleen Frey
- Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham Park, NJ, USA
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Maggioni AP, Andreotti F. Closing the Gap Between Populations Enrolled in Traditional Randomized Controlled Trials and Patients Encountered in Clinical Practice: The Case of Heart Failure. Circ Heart Fail 2021; 14:e008840. [PMID: 34407640 DOI: 10.1161/circheartfailure.121.008840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aldo P Maggioni
- ANMCO Research Center, Heart Care Foundation, Florence, Italy (A.P.M.)
| | - Felicita Andreotti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy (F.A.)
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Comparison chart: Some drugs for HFrEF. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2021; 63:e1-e14. [PMID: 34181629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Drugs for chronic heart failure. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2021; 63:89-96. [PMID: 34181628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Hulot JS, Trochu JN, Donal E, Galinier M, Logeart D, De Groote P, Juillière Y. Vericiguat for the treatment of heart failure: mechanism of action and pharmacological properties compared with other emerging therapeutic options. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:1847-1855. [PMID: 34074190 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1937121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The significant morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF), notably in the most advanced forms of the disease, justify the need for novel therapeutic options. In the last year, the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, vericiguat, has drawn the attention of the medical community following the report of reduced clinical outcomes in patients with worsening chronic HF (WCHF). AREAS COVERED The authors review the available data on the mechanism of action of vericiguat (cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway), its clinical development program, its role in HF management, and its future positioning in the therapeutic recommendations. EXPERT OPINION cGMP deficiency has deleterious effects on the heart and contributes to the progression of HF. Different molecules, including nitric oxide (NO) donors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and natriuretic peptides analogues, target the NO-sCG-cGMP pathway but have yielded conflicting results in HF patients. Vericiguat acts as a sGC stimulator thus targeting the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway by a different mechanism that complements the current pharmacotherapy for HF. Vericiguat has shown an additional statistical add-on therapy efficacy by reducing morbi-mortality in patients with WCHF. A better evaluation of HF severity might be an important determinant to guide the use of vericiguat among the available therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Sébastien Hulot
- Université de Paris, INSERM, PARCC, Paris, France.,CIC1418 and DMU CARTE, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Noël Trochu
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, l'institut du Thorax, Nantes, France
| | - Erwan Donal
- LTSI INSERM U1099, Service de Cardiologie et Maladies Vasculaires, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, Université Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Michel Galinier
- Department of Cardiology, Toulouse-Rangueil University Hospital, Toulouse University School of Medicine, Toulouse, France
| | - Damien Logeart
- Department of Cardiology, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Pascal De Groote
- CHU Lille, Service de Cardiologie, France.,INSERM U1167, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Yves Juillière
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy Brabois, Vandoeuvre Lès Nancy, France
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Ameri P, Bertero E, Maack C, Teerlink JR, Rosano G, Metra M. Medical treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: the dawn of a new era of personalized treatment? Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother 2021; 7:539-546. [PMID: 34037742 DOI: 10.1093/ehjcvp/pvab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent trials have shown the efficacy of new drugs for the medical therapy of heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduced hospitalizations for HF, HF events, and cardiovascular death in patients with HFrEF or hospitalized for HF. Iron repletion with ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) improved symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life in chronic HFrEF patients, and decreased the risk of subsequent HF hospitalizations in subjects with acutely decompensated HF. New-generation potassium binders may allow initiation and up-titration of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RASi). Lastly, the guanylate cyclase stimulator vericiguat and the myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil reduced the primary endpoint in two major controlled trials. These results open novel pathways for the treatment of HFrEF. This review discusses new opportunities of an individualized approach to HFrEF pharmacotherapy, where new compounds expand a spectrum of drugs that target primarily neuroendocrine activation. SGLT2i can be safely applied once daily at a fixed dose to the vast majority of patients with HFrEF, including those with moderate renal dysfunction and/or systolic blood pressure as low as 95-100 mmHg. Additional medications are suitable for more specific phenotypes, with ivabradine providing benefit in patients with sinus rhythm and heart rates ≥70 beats per minute, FCM in the presence of iron deficiency, and potassium-lowering agents to implement RASi when hyperkalaemia occurs. Vericiguat and omecamtiv mecarbil also have potential for tailored approaches towards the hemodynamic status. Thus, a new era is starting for a more personalized medical treatment of HFrEF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Ameri
- Cardiovascular Disease Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy-IRCCS Italian Cardiology Network.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Edoardo Bertero
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Clinic Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Maack
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Clinic Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - John R Teerlink
- Section of Cardiology, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Giuseppe Rosano
- Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Metra
- Cardiology Unit, ASST Spedali Civili and Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Vericiguat (Verquvo) for heart failure. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2021; 63:36-7. [PMID: 33755653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
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47
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Comparison table: Some drugs for HFrEF. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2021; 63:e1-e13. [PMID: 33755656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
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Abstract
Heart failure is a common entity encountered in healthcare with a vast socioeconomic impact. Recent advances in pharmacotherapy have led to the development of novel therapies with mortality benefits, improvement in heart failure symptoms and hospitalizations. This article is intended to explore those newer pharmacotherapies and summarize the evidence behind guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). It has been several years since any significant advances in pharmacotherapy of heart failure have resulted in survival benefit. Angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitors through the PARADIGM-HF and PIONEER-HF trials have shown mortality benefits and a reduction in heart failure hospitalizations and are considered landmark trials in heart failure. Vericiguat is an oral guanylate cyclase stimulator that through the recent VICTORIA trial showed a 10% relative difference in death from cardiovascular cause or hospitalization for heart failure. The sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are another class of medications that have shown promise in the treatment of patients with HFrEF and diabetes mellitus. The CANVAS and EMPA-REG OUTCOME trials showed the potential benefit of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiovascular mortality, DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial showed that treatment with dapagliflozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure to a greater extent in patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF). Although novel pharmacotherapy is the current focus of intense research, there have been numerous studies on potential benefit of iron supplementation in ferropenic patients with heart failure. Another rapidly expanding area of research in the realm of heart failure is precision medicine and its impact on the development, progression, and treatment of heart failure. The field of heart failure is dynamic and with the influx of data from recent and ongoing trials, newer therapies with morbidity and mortality benefits in HFrEF are now available, nonetheless, much work is still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton Espinoza
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Haider Alkhateeb
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Tariq Siddiqui
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
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Emdin M, Aimo A, Castiglione V, Vergaro G, Georgiopoulos G, Saccaro LF, Lombardi CM, Passino C, Cerbai E, Metra M, Senni M. Targeting Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate to Treat Heart Failure: JACC Review Topic of the Week. J Am Coll Cardiol 2020; 76:1795-807. [PMID: 33032741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The significant morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) justify the search for novel therapeutic agents. Reduced cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels contribute to HF progression. Among molecules modulating the nitric oxide (NO)-GMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) pathway, the evaluation of nitrates, synthetic natriuretic peptides (NP), and NP analogs has yielded mixed results. Conversely, sacubitril/valsartan, combining NP degradation inhibition through neprilysin and angiotensin receptor blockade, has led to groundbreaking findings in HFrEF. Other strategies to increase tissue cyclic guanosine monophosphate have been attempted, such as PDE-3 or PDE-5 inhibition (with negative or neutral results), NO-independent soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activation, or enhancement of sGC sensitivity to endogenous NO. Following the positive results of the phase 3 VICTORIA (A Study of Vericiguat in Participants With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial on the sGC stimulator vericiguat in HFrEF, the main open questions are the efficacy of the sacubitril/valsartan-vericiguat combination in HFrEF and of vericiguat in HFpEF.
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Abstract
Introduction: In 2013, riociguat a potent and specific stimulator of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) was approved as first in class sGC stimulator which reflected a first culmination of intense research and development efforts starting in the mid 1990ies. In the meantime, it turned out that triggering cGMP production by sGC stimulators could have a broad treatment potential. In consequence, various pharmaceutical companies are still very active in identifying novel chemistry for sGC stimulators. After the first generation of sGC stimulators like riociguat or lificiguat, new compound classes with different physicochemical and kinetic profiles were identified, like the sGC stimulators vericiguat or praliciguat.Area covered: Patent literature on sGC stimulators with a focus on recent compounds of the years 2014-2019 as on claimed use and formulations of these compounds. The information was collected from publicly available data sources only (MedLine, EmBase, Chemical Abstracts, Orbit, Dolphin).Expert Opinion: With the recent advancements reported in the patent literature, sGC stimulators might be differentiated due to tissue selectivity or route of application although exhibiting the same molecular mode of action. The indication space of these compounds is potentially very broad and multiple indications in cardiovascular diseases and beyond are under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sandner
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals Drug Discovery, Institutes of Cardiology and Medicinal Chemistry, Wuppertal, Germany.,Hannover Medical School, Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexandros Vakalopoulos
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals Drug Discovery, Institutes of Cardiology and Medicinal Chemistry, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Michael G Hahn
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals Drug Discovery, Institutes of Cardiology and Medicinal Chemistry, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Johannes-Peter Stasch
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals Drug Discovery, Institutes of Cardiology and Medicinal Chemistry, Wuppertal, Germany.,cMartin Luther University Halle, Institute of Pharmacy, Halle, Halle, Germany
| | - Markus Follmann
- Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals Drug Discovery, Institutes of Cardiology and Medicinal Chemistry, Wuppertal, Germany
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