Prostaglandin is a steroid that is produced naturally in the body of a normally healthy person. It causes blood vessels in the lungs to relax and allow blood to flow through them easily. People with pulmonary hypertension do not produce enough prostaglandin, causing the blood vessels in the lungs to be somewhat constricted. Prostacyclin, also known as epoprostenol, is a synthetic substance that is administered to remedy this deficiency in some PH patients. Prostacyclin therapy was initially used as a bridge to lung transplantation but has emerged as an alternative to transplantation in numerous patients in recent years. Although research continues on other forms of prostacyclin, it is currently available in these forms:

Flolan®

Remodulin®

Ventavis®

Inhaled Tyvaso®

Recent items from the PHCentral Newsroom:

• Iloprost Appears to Ease Lung Damage Caused by Smoking
  (MedPage Today) -- Treating asymptomatic ex-smokers with oral iloprost can mitigate the changes that lead to non-small cell lung cancer and other diseases, researchers suggested here
   
• Actelion Moves Oral Prostacyclin Analogue into Phase III Studies
  (Bio World) -- With positive data from a Phase IIa trial in hand, Actelion AG plans to move directly into a Phase III morbidity/mortality trial of its first-in-class oral prostacyclin (PGI2) receptor agonist in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) before year-end. 
     

For Additional Information Visit:

• Pulmonary Hypertension, Primary, Ronald J Oudiz, MD, Director of Pulmonary Hypertension, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
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• Safety, Efficacy and Treatment Satisfaction Switching From Flolan to Remodulin Using the CronoFive Ambulatory Pump in Patients With PAH
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• FDA Drug Search: For information about this drug and any other drug approved by the U.S. FDA – patient info sheets, label info, approval history etc.

September 2009 - Page reviewed and updated