HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Learning About PAH* and PAH* Symptoms

PAH* is high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries and the lungs. The pulmonary arteries move blood from your heart to your lungs to provide fresh oxygen. Once this oxygenated blood leaves the lungs, it goes back to your heart to be pumped out to all parts of your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs.

When the pressure is high in the pulmonary arteries, the heart has to work much harder to get blood into the lungs, causing shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, heart palpitations, and/or fainting. These symptoms may occur with or without exertion.

Symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH*)

Symptoms of PAH* are caused by a lack of oxygen due to narrowed blood vessels in the lungs and increased stress on the heart. Symptoms may not be obvious at first, but over time they can become more limiting.

Symptoms of PAH* may include1†:

  • Breathlessness or shortness of breath (dyspnea), the most common symptom
  • Fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
  • Dizziness, especially when climbing stairs or when standing up
  • Fainting (syncope)
  • Swollen ankles and legs (edema)
  • Chest pain, especially during physical activity (angina)

†Veletri does not improve all of the symptoms of PAH*

Get helpful resources about PAH*.

Read about Veletri


*What is Veletri?

Veletri is a prescription medicine that is given intravenously (in a vein). It is used to treat adults with certain kinds of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (WHO Group 1), a condition in which blood pressure is too high in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. Veletri may improve your ability to exercise as measured by how far you can walk in 6 minutes
(6-minute walk test).

Studies showing Veletri is effective included mainly patients with NYHA Functional Class III-IV PAH. In these patients, PAH was caused by unidentified or hereditary factors or connective tissue disease.

Who should not take Veletri?

Veletri should not be used if you have heart failure due to severe left heart disease, if you develop fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) when starting therapy, or if you are allergic to epoprostenol.

Some medications may interact with Veletri. Please talk to your doctor about all of your medications.

What is the most important information I should know about Veletri?

It is important to use Veletri as directed by your doctor. Veletri should be used only with Sterile Water for Injection, USP, or Sodium Chloride 0.9% Injection, USP. Do not mix Veletri with other intravenous medications. Do not freeze Veletri or expose to direct sunlight.

When you take epoprostenol for the first time, you must be in a setting (hospital or clinic) where you can be monitored for any serious side effects or in case of emergency. Your blood pressure and heart rate should also be monitored with any dose changes. If you are taking Veletri, your doctor may prescribe another kind of medicine used to prevent blood clots. Use of these types of medicines may increase the risk of bleeding.

Sudden and dramatic changes in dose may lead to unstable blood pressure, a return of pulmonary hypertension symptoms, or fatal low blood pressure (hypotension). Do not stop using Veletri without first talking to your doctor. To reduce the risk of infection in the bloodstream, it is important to know how to properly care for the catheter and infusion pump.

What are the possible side effects of Veletri?

The most commonly reported side effects during clinical trials include flushing, jaw pain, headache, low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, anxiety/nervousness, and diarrhea.

Talk to your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Veletri. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see accompanying full prescribing information.

1. Barst, RJ, McGoon M, Torbicki A, et al. Diagnosis and differential assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004;43:40S-47S