BACKGROUND: Riociguat and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i), approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), act on the same pathway via different mechanisms. Riociguat might be an alternative option for patients with PAH who do not respond sufficiently to treatment with PDE5i, but comparisons of the potential benefits of riociguat and PDE5i in these patients are needed. The aim of this trial was to assess the effects of switching to riociguat from PDE5i therapy versus continued PDE5i therapy in patients with PAH at intermediate risk of 1-year mortality. METHODS: Riociguat rEplacing PDE5i therapy evaLuated Against Continued PDE5i thErapy (REPLACE) was an open-label, randomised controlled trial in 81 hospital-based pulmonary hypertension centres in 22 countries. The study enrolled patients aged 18-75 years with symptomatic PAH at intermediate risk of 1-year mortality (based on the European Society for Cardiology-European Respiratory Society guideline thresholds for WHO functional class and 6-min walk distance [6MWD]) who were receiving treatment with a PDE5i with or without an endothelin receptor antagonist for at least 6 weeks before randomisation. Patients were excluded if they had been previously treated with riociguat, had used prostacyclin analogues or prostacyclin receptor agonists within 30 days before randomisation, had clinically significant restrictive or obstructive parenchymal lung disease, or had left heart disease. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to remain on PDE5i treatment (oral sildenafil [≥60 mg per day] or oral tadalafil [20-40 mg per day]; the PDE5i group) or to switch to oral riociguat (up to 2·5 mg three times per day; the riociguat group), using an interactive voice and web response system, stratified by cause of PAH. The primary endpoint was clinical improvement by week 24, defined as an absence of clinical worsening and prespecified improvements in at least two of three variables (6MWD, WHO functional class, and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), analysed using last observation carried forward in all randomly assigned patients with observed values at baseline and week 24 who received at least one dose of study medication (the full analysis set). Secondary endpoints included clinical worsening events. The trial has been completed and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02891850. FINDINGS: Between Jan 11, 2017, and July 31, 2019, 293 patients were screened, of which 226 patients were randomly assigned to the riociguat group (n=111) or to the PDE5i group (n=115). 211 patients completed the study and 14 patients discontinued (seven in each group). One patient assigned to the PDE5i group did not receive treatment, so 225 patients were included in the safety analysis, and one further patient in the PDE5i group had missing components of the composite primary endpoint at baseline, so 224 patients were included in the full analysis set. The primary endpoint was met by 45 (41%) of 111 patients in the riociguat group and 23 (20%) of 113 patients in the PDE5i group; odds ratio [OR] 2·78 (95% CI 1·53-5·06; p=0·0007). Clinical worsening events occurred in one (1%) of 111 patients in the riociguat group (hospitalisation due to worsening PAH) and 10 (9%) of 114 patients in the PDE5i group (hospitalisation due to worsening PAH [n=9]; disease progression [n=1]; OR 0·10 [0·01-0·73]; p=0·0047). The most frequently occurring adverse events were hypotension (15 [14%]), headache (14 [13%]), and dyspepsia (10 [9%]) in the riociguat group, and headache (eight [7%]), cough (seven [6%]), and upper respiratory tract infection (seven [6%]) in the PDE5i group. Serious adverse events were reported in eight (7%) of 111 patients in the riociguat group and 19 (17%) of 114 patients in the PDE5i group. During the study, four patients died in the PDE5i group, one of them during the safety follow-up period. INTERPRETATION: Switching to riociguat from PDE5i treatment, both of which act via the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, could be a strategic option for treatment escalation in patients with PAH at intermediate risk of 1-year mortality. FUNDING: Bayer AG, Merck Sharp & Dohme.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• inhibitory fosfodiesterasy 5 terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• plicní arteriální hypertenze farmakoterapie   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• pyrazoly terapeutické užití   MeSH
• pyrimidiny terapeutické užití   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

BACKGROUND: RESPITE evaluated patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and an inadequate response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) who switched to riociguat. This post hoc analysis assessed response to this switch in parameters associated with clinical improvement. METHODS: RESPITE was a 24-week, uncontrolled pilot study (n = 61). Differences in functional, hemodynamic, and cardiac function parameters, REVEAL risk score (RRS), and biomarkers were compared between responders (free from clinical worsening, World Health Organization functional class I/II, and ≥30 m improvement in 6-min walking distance at Week 24) and non-responders. RESULTS: Of 51 patients (84%) completing RESPITE, 16 (31%) met the responder endpoint. At baseline, there were significant differences between responders and non-responders in N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), and RRS, whereas there were no differences in hemodynamics or cardiac function. At Week 24, responders had significant improvements in pulmonary arterial compliance, pulmonary vascular resistance, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure, while non-responders showed no significant change. Cardiac efficiency and stroke volume index significantly improved irrespective of responder status. CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP, GDF-15, and RRS were identified as potential predictors of response in patients switching from PDE5i to riociguat. Further prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm the association of these parameters with response.

• MeSH
• inhibitory fosfodiesterasy 5 * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pilotní projekty MeSH
• plicní hypertenze * farmakoterapie   MeSH
• pyrazoly MeSH
• pyrimidiny MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

A proportion of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients do not reach treatment goals with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i). RESPITE investigated the safety, feasibility and benefit of switching from PDE5i to riociguat in these patients.RESPITE was a 24-week, open-label, multicentre, uncontrolled study. Patients in World Health Organization (WHO) functional class (FC) III, with 6-min walking distance (6MWD) 165-440 m, cardiac index <3.0 L·min-1·m-2 and pulmonary vascular resistance >400 dyn·s·cm-5 underwent a 1-3 day PDE5i treatment-free period before receiving riociguat adjusted up to 2.5 mg maximum t.i.d Exploratory end-points included change in 6MWD, WHO FC, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and safety.Of 61 patients enrolled, 51 (84%) completed RESPITE. 50 (82%) were receiving concomitant endothelin receptor antagonists. At week 24, mean±sd 6MWD had increased by 31±63 m, NT-proBNP decreased by 347±1235 pg·mL-1 and WHO FC improved in 28 patients (54%). 32 patients (52%) experienced study drug-related adverse events and 10 (16%) experienced serious adverse events (2 (3%) study drug-related, none during the PDE5i treatment-free period). Six patients (10%) experienced clinical worsening, including death in two (not study drug-related).In conclusion, selected patients with PAH may benefit from switching from PDE5i to riociguat, but this strategy needs to be further studied.

• MeSH
• antagonisté endotelinového receptoru terapeutické užití   MeSH
• antihypertenziva škodlivé účinky   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• cévní rezistence účinky léků   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• inhibitory fosfodiesterasy 5 terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• natriuretický peptid typu B krev   MeSH
• peptidové fragmenty krev   MeSH
• plicní hypertenze farmakoterapie   mortalita   patofyziologie   MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• pyrazoly škodlivé účinky   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• pyrimidiny škodlivé účinky   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stupeň závažnosti nemoci MeSH
• Světová zdravotnická organizace MeSH
• test chůzí MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH
• Severní Amerika MeSH