Rationale and study design of RESPITE: An open-label, phase 3b study of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who demonstrate an insufficient response to treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors
Abstract
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who do not have an adequate response to therapy with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) may have insufficient synthesis of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). These patients may respond to a direct soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator such as riociguat. RESPITE (NCT02007629) was an open-label, multicenter, uncontrolled, single-arm phase 3b study of riociguat in patients with PAH who demonstrated an insufficient response to treatment with PDE-5i. Insufficient response was defined as World Health Organization functional class (WHO FC) III despite PDE-5i therapy for at least 90 days; 6-min walk distance (6MWD) of 165-440 m, and right-heart catheterization showing mean pulmonary artery pressure >30 mmHg, cardiac index 2, and pulmonary vascular resistance >400 dyn s cm-5. PAH patients with an insufficient response to stable doses of sildenafil or tadalafil-either as monotherapy or in combination with an endothelin receptor antagonist-for at least 90 days were switched to riociguat for 24 weeks. Starting at 1.0 mg TID, the dose of riociguat was increased during the 8-week titration phase in 0.5-mg increments in 2-week intervals if the patient had no signs or symptoms of hypotension. In the ensuing 16-week maintenance phase, riociguat was continued at the optimal individual dose. All efficacy outcomes were exploratory and include change from baseline to 24 weeks in 6MWD, cardiac index, N-terminal pro-brain…
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