research in drug improves survival in pulmonary hypertension
the identification of the different mechanisms by which appears pulmonary hypertension has been key in improving their survival
-pulmonary hypertension records a low prevalence, 15 cases per million inhabitants, why is considered a minority or orphan.
-the emergence of vasodilators treatment reduced mortality significantly after 3 years of diagnosis. Currently, survival is 67% to the 3 years.
-the unauthorized administration of generic treatments of unknown origin are of dubious effectiveness in this disease.
Spain, 2012-may Pulmonary hypertension (Ph) is a minority considered disease or orphaned by low prevalence that records (15 cases per million inhabitants). His mortality was very high until it appeared the vasodilators treatments, since then it has been reduced significantly after 3 years of diagnosis.
The progress made in the identification of the different mechanisms by which appears the disease have led to a substantial improvement in the survival of this disease. As a result of the development of these advances, it has been possible to expand the research in the field of the possible different usable drugs to alleviate symptoms and improve the lives of patients.
Antagonist drugs of recipients of substances which lead to pulmonary hypertension produce good results in patients with HP. The drug that has shown to be more effective in advanced stages of the disease and that has more experience is containing intravenous epoprosteSNOL (prostacyclin). Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors and endothelin antagonists, administered orally, has also shown good results in patients in moderate and advanced States. Also, there are also easy to handle treatments via inhalation, as iloprost, who has also shown beneficial effects on patients. These treatments can be given either alone, or in form combined according to the stadium and the symptoms of patients. Through these discoveries, current survival has increased to 67% after 3 years of diagnosis, according to the French register.
Different factors play a fundamental role in the development of pulmonary hypertension: the rupture of the balance normal between vasoconstrictive substances (endothelin) and vasodilatadoras, the remodeling and vascular cell proliferation lung, the role of the inactivation of the guanilciclasa, the fosofodiesterasa, the induced vasoconstriction, increased activity of the tiroSINn – kinase, the role of serotonin, the increased expression of the growth factors, genetic pathway, stem cells and the inflammation.
The most recent studies, pending completion, are working on oral and treatments easy to manage that in the near future they will expand the therapeutic arsenal which are available to treat the disease. On the other hand, there are investigations, still under development, posed by treatment with stem cells and nanoparticles, made that long term may represent one option to alleviate symptoms suffered by patients of pulmonary hypertension.
However, the current time of crisis in the economy which is submerged endangers the investment of administration in research and health spending, which in turn would lead to an imbalance in basic patient benefits and advances made in the field of pulmonary hypertension. From SEPAR, and together with the Spanish society of Cardiology, it had prepared a document on the effectiveness of the drugs in this disease, where also highlights that in no country is authorized the use of generic treatments for patients with pulmonary hypertension. Also note that it is not proven that generic medicines are cheaper than the commercials, even more so when there are laboratories that have reduced the price of commercial actions.
