VENTAVIS® (iloprost) Inhalation Solution is indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (WHO Group 1) to improve a composite endpoint consisting of exercise tolerance, symptoms (NYHA Class), and lack of deterioration. Studies establishing effectiveness included predominantly patients with NYHA Functional Class III-IV symptoms and etiologies of idiopathic or heritable PAH (65%) or PAH associated with connective tissue disease (23%).1
Prostacyclin (PGI2) functions as a hormone, binding to receptors on smooth muscle cells, thereby affecting their function. Prostacyclin has multiple physiological effects, including vasodilation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, antiproliferation, anti-inflammation, and enhanced cardiac contractility.12
VENTAVIS is an inhaled synthetic prostacyclin which in a clinical trial has been shown to:
Significantly increase clinical improvement (defined as improvement in functional class, 10% or greater increase in individual walk distance, and no clinical deterioration or death) at Week 12 of therapy (p=0.0033)†1
Significantly improve 6-minute walk distance at Week 12 (p<0.01)†1
Significantly improve patients' functional class at Week 12 (p=0.03)4
25% of patients (both functional class III and functional class IV) treated with VENTAVIS showed improvement by at least one functional class, compared with 8% of those given placebo (p=0.03)†1,4,14
VENTAVIS is used with an inhalation device, the I-neb® Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD®) System. It is not used with infusion pumps and catheters.
†AIR Pivotal Trial: Randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VENTAVIS monotherapy compared with placebo in the treatment of PAH (WHO Group 1) NYHA Functional Class III or IV (n=146). Clinical improvement is a combined endpoint defined as ≥ 10% increase in 6MWD, improvement in NYHA Functional Class, and absence of clinical deterioration or death.1,4