New therapeutic agents for pulmonary vascular disease

The improved understanding of the pathophysiology of pulmonary vascular diseases over the last decade has brought with it significant changes in disease management. Newer therapies have targeted the cardinal features of pulmonary hypertension, which include pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodelling. In addition to prostacyclin, which had been the mainstay of therapy until recently, other available drugs include other prostacyclin analogues, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. This review will discuss some of the evidence for their use and will look towards the future in the search of treatments that may ultimately modify and even reverse the disease process.