Novel Drugs for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Where Are We Going?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease that despite advances in therapy is associated with a 7-year survival of approximately 50%. Several risk factors are associated with developing PAH, include methamphetamine use, scleroderma, human immunodeficiency virus, portal hypertension, and genetic predisposition. PAH can also be idiopathic. There are traditional pathways underlying the pathophysiology of PAH involving nitric oxide, prostacyclin, thromboxane A2, and endothelin-1, resulting in impaired vasodilation, enhanced vasoconstriction and proliferation in the pulmonary vasculature. Established PAH medications targets these pathways; however, this paper aims to discuss novel drugs for treating PAH by targeting new and alternative pathways.

Automated summary

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease with a 7-year survival rate of approximately 50%, despite advancements in therapy. Risk factors for developing PAH include methamphetamine use, scleroderma, human immunodeficiency virus, portal hypertension, and genetic predisposition. PAH is characterized by impaired vasodilation, enhanced vasoconstriction, and proliferation in the pulmonary vasculature, involving pathways such as nitric oxide, prostacyclin, thromboxane A2, and endothelin-1. This paper discusses novel drugs targeting new and alternative pathways for treating PAH, in addition to the traditional pathways targeted by established PAH medications.