In December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Uptravi (selexipag) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (or PAH).
Now, others around the world will have the same option. On March 17th and 18th, 2016, Medsafe and the TGA approved Uptravi for use in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.
In people with pulmonary arterial hypertension, blood vessels between the heart and lungs are constricted, elevating blood pressure and complicating blood flow to the lungs.
By combining with prostacyclin receptors in the body, Uptravi–an oral medication–helps to relax muscles in the walls of blood vessels, thereby widening passageways and decreasing pressure.
The most common side effects reported with Uptravi include headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain, pain in extremities, jaw pain, and flushing.
