Abstract

Bosentan for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (I)

Author(s): Sabina A Antoniu

Evaluation of: McLaughlin VV., Sitbon O., Badesch DB. et al. Survival with first-line bosentan in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Eur. Respir. J. 25, 244–249 (2005). Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare life-threatening form of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Several pharmacologic classes have recently become available for primary pulmonary hypertension treatment – prostacyclin and prostacyclin derivatives, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Bosentan (Tracleer®) is an oral dual-endothelin receptor antagonist approved in Europe and North America for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Several studies focused on the efficacy and safety of bosentan as an add-on or first-line therapy in primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension related with connective tissue diseases. The current study assesses the impact of first-line bosentan therapy on the survival of primary pulmonary hypertension patients, compares it with a predicted hemodynamic survival also and focuses on the detection of predictors of survival.