Prostacyclin-Class Treatment

Q: What is prostacyclin?

Prostacyclin is a natural substance found in your body. Normal prostacyclin levels help maintain blood vesselhealth, keeping your blood vessels open and enabling normal blood flow. People with PAH may not produce enough natural prostacyclin.

Q: What do prostacyclin-class medications do?

Prostacyclin-class drugs work in the prostacyclin pathway to impact the imbalance. They mimic some of the effects of natural prostacyclin, such as the following: Widening or opening narrow blood vessels, slowing down the thickening of blood vessels, and preventing clotting.

What do prostacyclin-class medications do?
How can prostacyclin-class medications help me?
Prostacyclin-class therapies may help improve your risk status
Why should you consider prostacyclin-class therapy?
Starting the conversation

What is prostacyclin?

Prostacyclin is a natural substance found in your body. Prostacyclin function is important. Normal prostacyclin levels help maintain blood vessel health, keeping your blood vessels open and enabling normal blood flow. People with PAH may not produce enough natural prostacyclin.

Prostacyclin-class medications are used to treat 1 of the 3 treatment pathways for PAH. Although prostacyclin was the first approved therapy for PAH, many people are not familiar with it. Prostacyclin-class therapy helps to open the blood vessels in the lungs so blood can flow more easily. They have also been shown to help improve your risk status. That’s why your doctor may prescribe a prostacyclin-class medicine.

Woman discussing her prostacyclin PAH medication, saying “adding another PAH medication made a difference. I feel like more of my day belongs to me, now.”

What do prostacyclin-class medications do?

Prostacyclin-class medications work in the prostacyclin pathway to impact the imbalance. They mimic some of the effects of natural prostacyclin, such as the following:

Widening or opening narrow blood vessels
Slowing down the thickening of blood vessels
Preventing clotting

Prostacyclin-class medications can help widen blood vessels in the lungs.

Many PAH specialists have decades of experience using prostacyclin-class medicines

Prostacyclin-class medications were the first type of treatment to be prescribed for PAH, and they have been used in the treatment of PAH for more than 2 decades.

In the past, prostacyclin-class medicine was reserved for patients in WHO Functional Class 3 or 4. Today, however, prostacyclin-class therapy is used for patients in WHO Functional Class 2 as well.

With prostacyclin-class medication now available in pill form, many patients can start taking it earlier in the course of their disease than they could have in the past.

In addition, prostacyclin-class medications can be taken with other types of PAH medications to impact the imbalance, so you may be able to add to your current treatment plan.

Three forms of delivery

Originally, the only way to deliver prostacyclin-class medication was through pump therapy. But thanks to medical advances, patients today have choices. There are now 3 options for taking prostacyclin-class medications, so you can choose among oral (pill), infused (pump therapy), or inhaled delivery.

Oral

Infused
(pump therapy)

Inhaled

How can prostacyclin-class medications help me?

Through extensive research, prostacyclin-class medications have been shown to help people with PAH in several ways.

Prostacyclin-class therapies have been shown to

Improve your PAH symptoms, like shortness of breath and fatigue

Keep your PAH from getting worse (slow disease progression)

Improve distance in the 6-minute walk test

Do more without symptoms (improve your Functional Class)

Reduce pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs

Reduce the strain on your heart (improve NT-proBNP/BNP numbers)

Side effects of prostacyclin-class therapies

Prostacyclin-class medications may cause side effects. There may be different side effects depending on how you take the drug. Your healthcare team should be familiar with these side effects, and they can help you prepare for them.

Talk to your healthcare provider about possible side effects before you start taking prostacyclin-class therapy.

Side effects of prostacyclin-class medications may include:

Headache
Diarrhea
Jaw pain

Muscle pain
Flushing
Nausea

Doctor discussing prostacyclin therapy with patients.

Prostacyclin-class therapies may help improve your risk status

Today’s PAH treatment guidelines recommend adding medications for most patients if they are not at low risk. Prostacyclin-class therapies have been shown to improve key measures of risk status, including 6-minute walk distance, Functional Class, and NT-pro-BNP/BNP levels.

With additional symptom control, you may be able to stay more active and do daily activities more easily. If you are interested in improving your risk status and additional symptom control, consider talking to your healthcare provider about your treatment plan.

Why should you consider a prostacyclin-class therapy?

Treatment is about more than improving your risk status—it’s about improving your symptoms so you can stay more active

Sometimes, you might think that “feeling OK” is as good as it will be for you. But is “good enough” really good enough? You still have goals, and today there are more options to help you meet your goals.

Treating your PAH effectively can help you make progress toward your goals today and in the future. Consider writing down some of the personal goals you’d like to achieve.

Your PAH team is your partner in your care

Your healthcare provider also has goals for you, which may be different from yours. It’s in your best interest to work together with your PAH team, so be sure to share your goals. Your healthcare provider can explain how their clinical goals can support your personal goals.

Your PAH team may be able to change the dose of your current medicines or perhaps add therapies, such as a prostacyclin-class medicine. These or other steps may help you improve your risk status as you strive to achieve your goals.

Patients on prostacyclin therapy walking

Starting the conversation

If you’re unsure how to talk about your goals or your treatment plan with your healthcare provider, download this discussion tool, which can help make the conversation easier.

PAH Doctor Discussion Tool

Download

PAH knowledge is PAH power

True or False?

In the past, prostacyclin-class therapies were typically used for patients in Functional Class 3 or 4. Now, they are used earlier for patients in Functional Class 2.

True
That’s true! Patients are often prescribed prostacyclin-class medicines earlier today than they would have been in the past.
False
Sorry, this one is true. Patients are often prescribed prostacyclin-class medicines earlier today than they would have been in the past.

Choose an answer

Prostacyclin-class medicines have been shown to:

Improve your PAH symptoms, like shortness of breath and fatigue
You’re right, but . . . there’s more to the story. The correct answer is all of the above. In addition, prostacyclin-class medicines have been shown to improve distance in the 6-minute walk test and improve NT-proBNP/BNP test results.
Keep your PAH from getting worse (slow disease progression)
You’re right, but . . . there’s more to the story. The correct answer is all of the above. In addition, prostacyclin-class medicines have been shown to improve distance in the 6-minute walk test and improve NT-proBNP/BNP test results.
Improve your Functional Class
You’re right, but . . . there’s more to the story. The correct answer is all of the above. In addition, prostacyclin-class medicines have been shown to improve distance in the 6-minute walk test and improve NT-proBNP/BNP test results.
All of the above
That’s right! Prostacyclin-class medicines also have been shown to improve distance in the 6-minute walk test and improve NT-proBNP test results.

Benefits of prostacyclin-class medicines icon

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