On March 26, the FDA approved a drug from Merck to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension — a rare, progressive lung condition.
Merck said it expects sotatercept-csrk, which goes by the brand name Winrevair, to be available at select specialty pharmacies in the U.S. by the end of April. While there are other drugs that manage symptoms for patients with PAH, the approval marks the first for a medicine that targets the root cause of the condition.
PAH is a condition in which small blood vessels in the lungs become thickened and narrowed, raising blood pressure in the lungs and causing the heart to work harder. In the U.S., around 500 to 1,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Merck's new drug is an injection given once every three weeks. It's meant to be used alongside existing therapies to increase exercise capacity, improve functional class and lower the risk of the condition worsening.