Hospitalization and Survival in Patients Using Epoprostenol for Injection in the PROSPECT Observational Study

BACKGROUNDFew studies have prospectively reported outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treated with epoprostenol in the modern-day era of oral therapy and combination treatments. The Registry to Prospectively Describe Use of Epoprostenol for Injection (Veletri, prolonged room temperature stable-epoprostenol [RTS-Epo]) in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PROSPECT) was established to prospectively describe the course of PAH in patients prescribed RTS-Epo.METHODSPROSPECT is a multicenter, US-based drug registry of primarily group 1 patients with PAH treated with RTS-Epo who were parenteral-naive or parenteral-transitioned at enrollment. Patients were followed until discontinuation of RTS-Epo, withdrawal, loss to follow-up, death, or end of study (maximum 1 year). One-year freedom from hospitalization (FH) and survival estimates were summarized by prostacyclin history (parenteral-naive or parenteral-transitioned), sex, and chronic renal insufficiency (CRI).RESULTSA total of 336 patients were included. The overall 1-year FH estimate was 51.0% ! 2.8% and was lower in parenteral-naive patients than parenteral-transitioned patients (42.8% ! 4.3% vs 57.1% ! 3.7%, respectively; P = .002). FH estimates were lower in male patients than female patients (38.3% ! 5.9% vs 54.6% ! 3.2%, respectively; P < .015) and in patients with CRI than patients without CRI (17.0% ! 8.4% vs 53.7% ! 2.9%, respectively; P < .001). The overall 1-year survival estimate was 84.0% ! 2.1%. Survival was poorer in parenteral-naive patients, male patients, and patients with CRI.CONCLUSIONSRisk of hospitalization and mortality remain high in patients with PAH. In particular, patients who are parenteral-naive at initiation of RTS-Epo therapy, male patients, and patients with CRI require close monitoring and aggressive clinical management.