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A Review of Vasopeptidase Inhibitors: A New Modality in the Treatment of Hypertension and Chronic Heart Failure
Author(s) -
Nathisuwan Surakit,
Talbert Robert L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1592/phco.22.1.27.33502
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , neprilysin , renin–angiotensin system , cardiology , pharmacology , clinical trial , blood pressure , enzyme , chemistry , biochemistry
Vasopeptidase inhibitors are a group of agents capable of inhibiting neutral endopeptidase and angiotensin‐converting enzymes, which leads to potentiation of natriuretic peptide actions and suppression of the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system. With this distinctively characteristic mechanism, these agents have emerged as a new drug class for management of hypertension and heart failure. Several vasopeptidase inhibitors are under clinical investigation. Omapatrilat is the most studied agent in this class. Clinical studies of omapatrilat in hypertension have consistently shown the agent's effectiveness in a variety of patient populations. In patients with heart failure, omapatrilat significantly improved neurohormonal and hemodynamic status. Long‐term effects of omapatrilat in patients with heart failure recently were compared with those of conventional therapy in a large phase II trial. Results of the study appear promising. Large clinical trials are ongoing, and additional information regarding safety and efficacy from these studies may help define the place in therapy for this agent.