Treprostinil, sold under the brand names Remodulin for infusion, Orenitram for oral, and Tyvaso for inhalation, is a
vasodilator that is used for the treatment of
pulmonary arterial hypertension.[6]
Treprostinil was approved for use in the United States in May 2002.[7]
Since treprostinil is a
vasodilator, its antihypertensive effect may be compounded by other medications that affect the blood pressure, including
calcium channel blockers,
diuretics, and other vasodilating agents.[8]
Because of treprostinil's inhibiting effect on platelet aggregation, there is an increased risk of bleeding, especially among patients who are also taking
anticoagulants.[8]
It is not known whether treprostinil is excreted in breast milk. Caution is advised when administering this medication to nursing women.
During the 1960s a UK research team, headed by Professor
John Vane began to explore the role of
prostaglandins in
anaphylaxis and respiratory diseases. Working with a team from the Royal College of Surgeons, Vane discovered that aspirin and other oral anti-inflammatory drugs worked by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins. This finding opened the door to a broader understanding of the role of prostaglandins in the body.
Vane and a team from the
Wellcome Foundation had identified a lipid mediator they called “PG-X,” which inhibited platelet aggregation. PG-X, which later would become known as prostacyclin, was 30 times more potent than any other known anti-aggregatory agent.[citation needed]
By 1976, Vane and fellow researcher
Salvador Moncada published the first paper on prostacyclin, in the scientific journal Nature.[9]
Treprostinil (Remodulin) was approved for use in the United States in May 2002,[1][7] and again in July 2018.[10] Tyvaso, the inhaled form of treprostinil, was approved for use in the United States in July 2009.[11] Orenitram was approved in December 2013.[12]
Treprostinil (Trepulmix) was approved for use in the European Union in April 2020.[5]
Research
Treprostinil therapy may be effective in treating
Degos disease.[13]